Bloodstream
by redhead414
Summary: Grudges. Betrayals. Affairs. Laughter. Friendship. Love.
1. Grudges

**_YOUNGEST WEASLEY SON TO FINALLY MARRY LONGTIME GIRLFRIEND_**

 **Yolanda Ingram,** ** _Daily Prophet Correspondant_**

 _Ronald Weasley (42), youngest son of Molly and Arthur Weasley (Sacred 28) is set to marry his longtime girlfriend, Lavender Brown (42), in a private ceremony in the south of France this weekend. Ms. Brown is the newest divination teacher at Hogwarts, while Mr. Weasley works as a joint partner with his brother, George Weasley at their successful joke shop, Weasley' Wizard Wheezes. Ms. Brown and Mr. Weasley already have two children, twins Parker and Paisley (5). Mr. Weasley also brings with him two children from his previous marriage to Ms. Hermione Granger (43), Rose (18) and Hugo (16)._

 _Rumors have been swirling for weeks that the eldest children of Mr. Weasley would not be attending the nuptials of their father and Ms. Brown, but a spokesperson for the Weasley family has assured us here at_ _The Daily Prophet_ _that the entire Weasley family will be at the wedding. Of course, everyone remembers the tumultuous breakup between Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger. Several inside sources at the Ministry of Magic registry office noted that despite their divorce proceeding being sealed to the public, it was Mr. Weasley's infidelity with Ms. Brown that lead to the dissolution of their marriage._

 _We at_ _The Daily Prophet_ _reached out to Ms. Granger for comment on the pending marriage, and her barrister, Draco Malfoy, stated that, "Ms. Granger has no comment regarding the nuptials of her ex-husband and his fiancee. She wishes them nothing but the best of luck in their future, and asks that the privacy of herself and her children be respected at this time."_

 _Mutual best friend, Harry Potter, (42, Head Auror - Ministry of Magic), stated that he was happy for his friend, and also wished him the best. He is expected to be in attendance at the wedding with his wife, Ginevra (41, nee Weasley), and their three children James (19), Albus (17) and Lily (15)._

 _Full coverage of the wedding, guests, and details will be in this Sunday's edition of_ _The Daily Prophet_ ** _._**

* * *

"Tell me something, Granger."

Hermione looked over at Draco Malfoy, the two of them sitting in his office on the north end of Diagon Alley with today's paper on the desk. "What would you like to know?"

"Six years ago when you decided to divorce the Weasel -"

"He has a name."

"Whatever. Not the point," Draco said with a smirk. "Why did you pick me to be your lawyer?"

Hermione shrugged. "I figured at first you'd piss off Ron the most. And…well, I wanted divorced and I wanted primary custody of the kids. I knew you'd make that happen for me." She scratched the back of her neck and sighed. "I'm just glad they're finally getting it over with, you know? Merlin only knows why it took them so long.

Draco nodded in agreement. He picked up the newspaper and chucked it into the trashcan. "You'd have thought he'd would've married her the moment he knocked her up."

"Except he wasn't divorced yet, so you know, there was that minor hiccup," Hermione said, irritation laced in her voice. "I'd like to think karma got him in the end thought. Those twins are tiny terrorists. Especially Paisley. Rose and Hugo say she's just a wretched little thing. According to Ginny, Parker is just a mini Ron. Horrible timing, horrible temper -"

"Horrible everything," Draco added.

Hermione nodded in agreement. She needed a change of subject on this Friday afternoon. Her kids were already off with Arthur and Molly, who were escorting them to the wedding this weekend. Rose and Hugo were incredibly put out at the fact that they not only had to attend the wedding, but be participants in the wedding ceremony. Hugo was Ron's best man, and Rose was the maid of honor. The two of them tried everything to get out of it, but it was useless. Hermione told them it was just a weekend, and then they wouldn't have to see their father the rest of the summer if that was their choice. Since they were over the age of 13, they were allowed to decide when they saw their father, thanks to the paperwork Draco drew up during the custody hearing.

"How's Scorpius?" she asked Draco.

"He's good," Draco replied. "Picked him up from the train this morning and he said he had errands to run. He has quidditch tryouts tonight and then he's heading down to the wedding tomorrow. I suspect Rose invited him."

"She did," Hermione replied. "Remind me - which team is he trying out for again?"

"Puddlemere United. I imagine he'll make the reserve team at minimum. What about Rose? She decide what she wants to do?" Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes"She starts Healer training in the fall," Hermione said with a smile. "It'll be hard work - but rewarding I'm sure."

Draco nodded in agreement. "Considering she's been pretending to be a healer since she was little, this was most certainly predictable." He packed up his bag and set it on his desk. "What are you plans this evening?"

She shrugged. "A book and a bottle of wine, I imagine."

"The whole bottle?"

"Kids are gone - house is empty - so I imagine a good portion of it will be consumed, yes," Hermione said with a half laugh.

Draco shook his head. "What about food, Granger?"

"Leftovers," Hermione replied. "I baked a casserole earlier this week."

"Come to dinner with me," Draco replied.

She frowned. "I have no desire to be out in public this weekend."

"Who says we have to stay in the wizarding world?" he countered.

Hermione's face remained unimpressed. She really did just want to go home, put on her comfy pajamas, and curl up on the couch. These past few months leading up to the wedding of her ex and his new wife, with his new family, was exhausting. By no means did she want her ex-husband back. But she would be lying if she said she wasn't still resentful about how her marriage ended - especially considering that she had managed to be in the papers more often than not since her divorce. They followed her every move and she found it incredibly intrusive.

"Come on," Draco needled.

"I really just want to go home."

"You really need to do something other than sit at home and wallow."

"I will _not_ be wallowing," Hermione snapped. "I have _never_ wallowed."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine. Sit at home like an old maid."

"Are you trying to piss me off?"

"No. It's just my natural disposition."

Hermione didn't even bother trying to stifle her snort.

Draco moved his bag to the floor so there was nothing obstructing his view as he looked at her. "Look. I remember when Astoria remarried. And even though I was ecstatic when we finally divorced - knowing she was able to find a husband that made her happier than I made her still stung a bit."

"At least you two were able to still be friends."

"Yes. We were able to find a way back to being friends," Draco stated. "We did that for our son."

"I'm impressed when Ron and I can just be civil," Hermione confessed. "I didn't…I never wanted to hate him. He was my best friend."

"I don't think you hate him, Hermione," Draco said quietly, using her first name in the most sincerest of ways. "I think you're disappointed in him. Your disappointment in people is far worse than hate."

Hermione sighed. "You're probably right." She looked down at her freshly manicured fingernails, a treat she gave herself earlier in the week when she was out shopping in Muggle London, and rubbed the pad of one thumb over the smooth nail belonging to her other thumb. "When Astoria got married, what did you do?"

"I went to my villa in Greece and took solace in the waves of the Mediterranean."

Hermione shot him a wry smile. "If only everyone had a villa at their disposal."

Draco stared at her, eyebrows wiggling slightly.

She shook her head. "Absolutely not."

"You know you want to."

"Spend an entire weekend trapped with you?" she asked incredulously. "That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."

"It's a large house, Granger," Draco countered. "You could go the entire weekend without seeing me if you truly wanted."

Hermione sighed. "Well then I'd just be rude."

Draco smirked. "You know you want to say yes."

"I want to wear pajamas and read all weekend."

"You can still read all weekend," Draco argued. "Hell - I have a stack of books I've been meaning to read as well. Reading on the balcony, the waves crashing in the background - trust me. It's a great place to get lost in a book."

Hermione couldn't believe she was actually considering the offer. The two of them over the years, even prior to her divorce, had become friends thanks to Scorpius and Rose. The two of them became fast friends when they were younger, playing in the Ministry daycare when Hermione and Astoria would drop them off in the morning before heading off to their respective offices. "I guess I could try to get some writing done there too," she mused.

Grinning, Draco stood up from his chair and grabbed his bag, tossing the long strap over his shoulder. "Go home and pack, Granger. I'll be at your house in an hour."

* * *

Rose laid in bed in her hotel room, her hair in one long, french braid as she was reading a book on advanced healing spells. Every so often, she glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. 7:45pm. Scorpius would arrive any time now. She was curious to know how his tryouts went. Everyone was at the rehearsal dinner still, but Rose excused herself after about an hour or so. Hugo stayed, hanging out with their cousins, but Rose could hardly stand being around her about to be step-mother and her side of the family. They were loud, without manners, gushing obnoxiously at every little thing her twin half-siblings did. Lavender's mother had the audacity at one point in the evening to tell Rose she should consider learning how to do her hair, because _frizz was unbecoming_. Her hair was anything but frizzy. It was just wild and curly like her mother's, but with a deep auburn color.

Her father pulled her aside when she asked to be excused for the evening, looking somewhat disappointed at her request.

 _"_ _Rose, I'd really like for you to stay," Ron said to his daughter._

 _"_ _Dad, I know, but honestly, I just can't," Rose replied. "I know you love her, and that's fine - that's your choice - but I just can't."_

 _Ron sighed. "Lavender isn't the reason why your mother and I divorced. We hadn't been happy for awhile."_

 _"_ _You still could've gone about it the normal way. Just asked for a divorce instead of doing what you did."_

 _"_ _Rose, it's hard to explain."_

 _"_ _I'm not a child, Dad."_

 _Ron sighed again. "I'm asking you to please stay until the party is over. Lavender will be upset if you leave early."_

 _Rose shrugged. "And I am politely declining. Besides, Scorpius will be here soon."_

 _Scowling, Ron raked a frustrated hand through his hair. "I thought I told you this was a family weekend?"_

 _"_ _He's my best friend," Rose countered. "And Lavender said it was fine."_

 _"_ _Where is he staying?"_

 _Rose looked right at her father. "With me."_

Placing a bookmark in her book, Rose sighed loudly as she stretched her arms up over her head. She was thoroughly dreading tomorrow as she glanced over at the dress she was to wear tomorrow. The dress wasn't awful, the one silver lining of the weekend's pending events. It was pale pink, form fitting with capped sleeves, a scoop neck, and bedazzled completely in sparkle beads crystals. It was a heavy dress, but with a charm, it would feel light as a feather.

She heard jiggling of the handle by the door, and smiled when she saw a ragged Scorpius walk in, and clad in his Slytherin sweatpants and a white t-shirt. He dragged in his luggage behind him and as the door shut, he walked over and plopped down on the bed. Laughing, she leaned over and scratched his scalp lightly. "Well hello to you too."

"My whole body hurts," Scorpius groaned, his voice muffled as he spoke into the bed. "Tryouts were brutal."

"I imagine they were," Rose replied. "When do you find out if you made the team?"

He rolled over onto his back with another groan. "I made the team," he told her with a smirk. "You're looking at the newest keeper for Puddlemere United."

Rose grinned from ear to ear. "I am _so_ proud of you!" she expressed. "So proud! Are you excited?"

"I would be if I could move," he replied with a sore laugh. "They played us hard for three straight hours. Remind me - what were we doing this morning?"

"Taking our final train ride home from Hogwarts."

Scorpius stifled a yawn. "12 hours ago we were students. Now we're adults." He rolled back over to his stomach and buried his face into the pillow. "Does your dad know we are sharing a room?"

She understood his muffled words, and leaned down, kissing his shirt clad shoulder. "He's aware."

Scorpius turned his head to face her. "Does that mean I'm dead?"

"I didn't exactly tell him the nature of our relationship," Rose replied. "He asked where you were staying…and I told him."

"Selective truth telling, eh?"

She shrugged, running her fingers through his hair. "It doesn't matter," she said. "He doesn't like that we are friends. He'll never like that we're…"

"Dating?" he finished her sentence with a smirk.

"I was going to say in love," Rose replied quietly.

"Very true," Scorpius replied, closing his eyes as Rose leaned in, kissing him softly on the lips. As she pulled away, he grunted as he shifted his body, ignore Rose's laughs as he moved to use her as a full body pillow. A leg between hers, he rested his head on her chest and hugged her. "I'm going to go to sleep now," he warned her. "Love you."

Rose reached for her wand on the nightstand and killed the lights. "Love you too."

* * *

Hugo carried a passed out Parker while his father carried an equally exhausted Paisley down the hall of the hotel towards the family suite that his younger siblings were sharing with his father and their mother. Lavender was with them, opening the door to let Ron and Hugo in without disturbing the sleeping terrors. Hugo had a bit more tolerance for the twins than his sister did. He was more like his mother that way in regards to his amount of patience. Of course, he found them to be awful and wretched half the time, but they were also just little kids. Little kids that were spoiled rotten, which was easily attributed to their bratty behavior. Rose and Hugo were the only two that ever said no to them.

Lavender directed Hugo over to the two cots that were set up for the twins. "Just place Parker on the one to the left."

Hugo nodded, blowing his hair out of his face as he leaned down, gently putting Parker on his cot. He carefully pulled his shoes off and covered him with his Chudley Cannons blanket.

"Thanks mate," Ron said to his eldest son.

"You sure you don't want to crash here?" Lavender asked, grabbing Hugo's hand.

He politely smiled as he pulled his hand back. "I appreciate the offer, but Albus, Fred, and Louis are waiting for me. We're going to play some games before bed."

"Don't stay up to late, you hear?" Ron said with a chuckle. "And you four stay out of trouble."

"Which is why I have to go," Hugo replied. "I'm the moral center of that group."

"You're like your mother that way," Ron replied as Lavender frowned. She always frowned when Hermione was mentioned. "I'll walk you back to your room."

Hugo waived him off. "I'm fine, Dad. Really. It's just two floors up."

Ron walked over to Lavender and kissed her temple. "I'll be right back."

Lavender fluttered her eyelashes in a way that both Hugo and Rose found annoying and hugged Ron's arm. "Don't be long, darling."

"Of course," Ron replied with a lovesick smile.

Hugo walked out of the room, and Ron followed him, out the door and down the hall. Hugo looked a lot like his father did when he was younger - tall and gangly with ginger hair - but his eyes and his nose were very much his mother's. His mother often said as he got older, he looked more and more like his maternal grandfather, whom he'd never met. Hugo and his father walked in silence for a bit towards the elevator of the French chateau turned holiday resort.

Stabbing the lift button to go up, Ron cleared his throat.

Hugo looked at his father. "Dad, whatever it is you have to say, just say it."

Ron chuckled. "What makes you think I have anything to say?"

"You always have something to say, Dad," Hugo replied. "And you aren't walking me up to my room because I'm a child, so what is it?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. "I just…I feel like the older you and Rosie get, the more distant you become."

"That's not exactly our fault though, right?" Hugo replied, choosing his words slowly and carefully. The lift doors opened and the two walked inside, Hugo punching the floor his room was on.

"I know you both were hurt, when your mother and I divorced," Ron said as the lift shut. "But it had nothing to do with you two. I've told you that."

Hugo yanked at the knot in his tie. "Dad, look. We love you alright? You're our dad. But Mum…she's our mum, you know? And you left her. I'm glad you're happy and whatever with Lavender, but she's annoying as hell and she makes Rose completely mental. And I'm pretty sure Parker bit Louis tonight so hard it broke his skin for no other reason than he could. And Paisley -"

"The twins are a handful yes. And I know Lav can be, a bit overbearing," Ron acknowledged. "But it comes from a good place. She's just desperate for the two of you to see her like a mother -"

"But we already have one," Hugo said as the lift doors opened. He walked out, and turned around to face his father. "Look - Rose and I are here because you asked us to and Mum told us to come. So we did. Just - don't push it ok? Especially with Rose"

"Speaking of your sister," Ron said with a slight grouse, walking out of the lift. "Is there something going on with her and that bloody Malfoy boy?"

"That's not my business to discuss," Hugo replied.

"Great," Ron groaned. "And I'm sure your mother is just _over the bloody moon_ about it, eh?"

Hugo pulled the tie off his neck, balling it up in his his hand as he clenched it. "Mum has always been supportive of what makes us happy." He shoved the tie into his jacket pocket and stopped at the room he and his cousins were staying. He could hear them on the other side talking. "Look - I'm sorry you think we've been distant. It wasn't intentional -"

"You sure about that?" Ron asked.

He nodded. "It wasn't for me at least. I just - I have friends, and sports, and school work. Plus I'm working this summer."

"Working? Where? Not at the joke shop."

"No - I'm doing summer work for Mr. Malfoy," Hugo replied. "He's changing the way he keeps his files, and offered to pay me this summer to help reorganize and sort his office."

The tips of Ron's ears were burning red. "So not only is my daughter dating the son of a man I truly hate, but my son is going to work for that bleeding kid's father?"

"It's good money," Hugo flatly replied. "And I think I to be a barrister when I grow up. I thought it would be nice to see what it's all about before I decide."

Ron's jaw clenched as he swallowed hard. "I do _not_ want you working for a Malfoy. You hear me?"

"It's too late to say no, Dad. I already committed."

"Then _undo it_."

"No."

"Hugo -"

"Dad -" he interrupted his father as he stood up straight. "I love you. I do. I can tell you don't think that's true but if you can't believe the words coming from my mouth I'm not sure what to do about it. But I will work for Mr. Malfoy this summer. Mum has already approved it. You're literally the only one that still carries a grudge towards him and his son. You need to get over it." Before his father could form a retort, his anger clearly inhibiting his ability to form coherent words, Hugo used his room key and entered his room, shutting the door on his father.


	2. Revelations

She'd have to admit it sooner or later, but Draco was right. Standing on the balcony, with the cool summer breeze blowing in her air was somewhat cathartic. With a mug of coffee in hand, she sat on the comfy balcony chair, her feet propped up on the balcony railing. Leaning back, she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. She slept through the entire night in what was possibly the most comfortable bed she'd ever found herself in, and only begrudging crawled out of it because she wanted to catch the sunrise.

Seagulls squawked as they soared around the sky, making Hermione chuckle as she remembered the first time she took the children to the beach in Marseille. Hugo was three, and chose to speak in animal noises instead of using his words, and the first time he saw a seagull, he squawked the entire rest of the trip. She and Rose thought it was hilarious. Ron found it utterly annoying. Hermione cured it though that night at dinner. She had the waiter bring him a raw fish on a plate because her son was a "seagull," and should eat accordingly. Oddly enough, as that dead fish stared back at him, Hugo's human words returned quickly.

With a sip of her coffee, she placed it on the little end table next to her chair and picked up the letter that was waiting for her on the balcony with an owl. Popping the seal off the back, she pulled the notes out of the envelope and opened them.

 _Mum -_

 _Guess what! Scorpius made the team! He's a starting keeper! I'm so proud of him - I knew he could do it. Of course, that's the only bit of good news I have this morning. Lavender woke us all up at an ungodly hour so we could "bond" as a new family. Of course that meant breakfast with the twin terrors. I swear - Dad would've never let us act like that when we were little. He would have had our heads. You too for that matter. But Lavender just sits there and giggles like it's the cutest thing she's ever seen. I know I shouldn't speak ill of little children - especially since they're my siblings - but honestly Mum. They're just the worst._

 _Dad glared at Scorpius by the way during the entire lunch. I couldn't tell if it was because he looks like his father or of it was because Lavender kept trying to hold his hand. It was so weird. Hugo said she did it to him last night too. Said that Dad told him that Lavender wants us to look at her like a mother figure. She acts like you're going somewhere. I hope you realize with Dad marrying this woman that you're_ _never_ _allowed to leave Hugo and I. Ever._

 _I hope you aren't sitting around doing nothing all weekend. Please go out and have some fun. You deserve it. You're the hardest working person I know._

 _XOXO - Rosie_

"If Rose only knew where I was," Hermione said to herself with a chuckle. She opened up Hugo's letter and scanned his chicken scratch handwriting.

 _Mum -_

 _Albus and Fred got pissed on firewhiskey last night. Louis and I didn't drink of course - we were the good children. (I'm sure you can see the glow of my halo from home.) We even put out the small fire in the hotel room. Albus was a little careless with his wand waving and caught one of the bedskirts on fire. Aunt Ginny was royally pissed this morning when he found out. Uncle Harry just smirked._

 _Just wanted to know that while I know this is the last place you would want to be this weekend, Rose and I wish you were here. Also - I told Dad about my summer job with Draco and naturally, he flipped his lid. He also figured out that Rose and Scorpius were dating, but that was before he found about my summer job so that probably just added fuel to his fire. I tried telling Scorpius if he tried out for Chudley instead of Puddlemere it would get him into Dad's good graces, but he said he wasn't about to be stuck on the worst team in the worst color on his first go around in professional quidditch. Can't say I blame him much. Puddlemere is a much better team._

 _Anyway - just wanted to warn you that I'm sure Dad will probably be wanting to exchange words with you. I contemplated, you know, telling him about what we spoke about at Christmas last night while he was already furious about everything else, but I decided not to_ _completely_ _ruin his wedding weekend. May as well save that for another day._

 _Love you the most - Hugo_

Hermione shook her head as she folded the two letters back up and into the envelope. She adored her two children. It's partly why she couldn't ever completely hate Ron for what he did. He gave her the two best parts of him, and without him she'd never have her incredibly bright daughter or her funny, sweet son. Draco had a point though in what he said to her yesterday, and it was something she'd thought about several times since. She was disappointed in her ex-husband. It was hard not to be. She'd forgiven him a long time ago, but was unable to forget it. And her inability to forget had fueled her disappointment all these years. She certainly didn't begrudge him happiness. She would have just preferred him to go about it a different way. In a way, Hermione blamed herself. She wanted to ask Ron for a divorce a year before she discovered he was having an affair, but she wanted to try and keep her family in tact for the sake of her children.

The sun started to pull away from the sea's edge, it's rays highlighting the beauties of the little seaside town where Draco's villa resided. Hermione stood up from her chair and stretched her arms over her head. She brought a stack of books to read, and her typewriter to get some writing done, but she felt like maybe she'd want to explore the village a bit as well.

"Good morning, neighbor."

Hermione looked over at the balcony next to her, and found Draco leaning against the edge of his balcony, about five feet from her. "Good morning, Draco."

"So…how did you sleep?" he asked.

"Best sleep of my life," she admitted. "I'm going to have to get me a mattress like that for back at home."

Draco shook his head. "No need - it's all charms. I'll send my house elf over to cast them."

Hermione frowned. "Really Draco? You know how I feel about elves."

"Drink some coffee and chill, Granger," Draco commanded. "Lulu has been my house elf since I was a child. And she's paid rather well. Spends all of her galleons on snow globes and keychains."

Hermione laughed. "Snow globes and keychains?"

"She finds them fascinating," Draco said. "Far be it from me to tell her how to spend her galleons."

"That's fair." Hermione pulled the front of the oversized cardigan she was wearing across her, keeping it in place as she crossed her arms against her chest. "So what do you when you're here?"

Draco nodded towards the village below. "I mingle with the commoners, of course."

She rolled her eyes. "Commoners? Seriously?"

"I'm anonymous here," Draco replied. "It's wonderful. There's a little cafe up the street that makes the best breakfast. Want to try it out?"

Hermione nodded. "Sounds great. Just let me shower and get dressed."

About an hour later, Draco and Hermione sat at a small table outside a small cafe that was only open for breakfast hours, sipping their coffees and enjoying watching the passersby as they took breaks from the books they brought with them. Once the cafe workers started to close up shop, they walked through the village side by side, meandering through various artisan and farmers markets. They made small talk, none of which was forced. Not having the need to feel like one of them has to be speaking was one of the traits they enjoyed most about each other.

Hermione found some neat glass trays that she thought Rose might like for her bedroom to set her earrings and bracelets in at the end of the day. Draco found a rare edition of _The Illiad_ that he could add to his collection in his home library. Of course, he thought Hermione would try to steal it from him, but she told him she had a _better_ edition at home.

"You would," Draco said with playful snark.

"Obviously," Hermione said. "It's not my fault you came late to the art of appreciating great works of literature written by Muggles."

"Remind me why we are friends?" he asked as he paid for the books.

"Because we have a low tolerance for stupidity."

"Right."

He pointed over towards the water, where there was an isolated cliff that was accessible for those that didn't mind a little bit of a walk. Hermione nodded, wanting to get a closer look at the view, and the two of them made their way over, walking in tandem as they distanced themselves away from the bustle of the village and its people. As they approached the cliff, Hermione dug in her purse for a blanket, pulling it out and gracefully spreading it out for them to sit on in a single swish. The weather was perfect, the balance between the sun and the breeze perfect.

Hermione pulled her knees to her chest and faced the water, her eyes closed behind her back sunglasses. "I can see why you come here."

"It's my favorite place," Draco confessed, flat on his back with his hands behind his head. "Do you have a favorite place?"

"This place."

"You can't use this place. It's mine."

Hermione feigned a huff. "Would sharing kill you?"

"Probably. I've never had to share."

"You share your son with Astoria."

"Only because he belongs to both of us," Draco retorted. "This place was my place first. Therefore I don't have to share it."

Hermione, eyes still closed, shook her head slightly. "You're impossible sometimes."

"All the time. Hence the divorce," Draco responded evenly. "So tell me - where's your favorite place?"

She shrugged. "I don't know if I have one anymore."

"That implies that you used to have one."

"You'd just laugh if I told you."

"What if I promise I won't?"

She turned her head and lifted her sunglasses. "You'll laugh," she reiterated.

"I swear," Draco promised. "If I laugh, I'll let you free all of my house elves."

Hermione frowned. "That's mean, Draco. Why should they have to pay for your mistake?"

"Just trying to appeal to a lifelong dream of yours," he playfully chided.

She dropped her glasses on the bridge of her nose and turned her head back towards the waves. She gathered her hair and pulled it up into a messy bun, securing it with a hair tie she had on her wrist. Her chin on her arms, perched atop her knees, she closed her eyes again, and listened to the crash of the waves.

* * *

"Rosie! Oh Rosie you just look so beautiful!"

Rose smiled at her grandma Molly, giving her a hug inside the reception tent. "Thank you, Nana." Her grandfather stood behind her grandmother, hands on his shoulders. "Hi Papa," she said.

Arthur smiled. "How are you doing, Poppet?"

Rose shrugged. "Fine. I'm just glad it's over with, you know?" She looked over across the way and saw Hugo dancing with Paisley, twirling her around on the dance floor. "The kids have been well behaved today," she mused out loud, realizing that oddly enough, neither had managed to cause any of their normal chaos."

"Well, I had a stern talking to them both this morning," Molly said. "Those two need a firm hand. You know they don't have that with their mother."

Laughing, Rose waved at Scorpius as he walked over to them, a drink in each hand. "That's definitely for sure," she agreed with her grandmother. She took her drink from Scorpius, taking a sip as he snaked his now free hand around her waist. "Thanks," she said to him.

Scorpius grinned. "Not a problem."

"Scorpius, I heard from Hugo that you made the Puddlemere team," Arthur said. "Congratulations, lad. Well done."

"Thank you, Sir," Scorpius replied. "I'm very excited."

"You've worked hard for it, and it shows," Arthur added. "We're all very proud of you."

"Absolutely," Molly added. She beamed at the two of them, a sparkle in her eye. "Should we expect a wedding for you two in the future?"

Rose and Scorpius both laughed, as this was a frequent question of Molly's. "Someday," Scorpius said, kissing Rose's temple.

"Alright, Molly, let's leave these two," Arthur said, knowing if he didn't steer her away she would start talking about wedding details. "Let's go congratulate Ron and Lavender."

Rose blew them both kisses, leaning into Scorpius as her grandparents walked away. She adored the two of them, as did her brother. "Aren't they just so cute?" Rose gushed, watching as Arthur reached for Molly's hand.

"Very," Scorpius agreed. He took a seat at the table they were standing next to, and pulled Rose down into his lap. "Not as cute as you of course."

"You're awfully brave today," she noted as his arm was firmly wrapped around her middle. She could see her father's line of sight zone in on the two of them, looking rather unpleased that she was sitting on him. "Just because it's his wedding day doesn't mean my dad won't make a scene with you."

Scorpius shrugged. "I decided I'm not afraid of your dad."

"Oh really? Why's that?"

"Because Molly likes me," he said with a grin.

Laughing, Rose leaned into him and threw back the rest of her drink. Glass on the table, she smoothed out the pale pink chiffon dress at her lap and shook her head. "You have a good point there. Nana does like you."

"Everyone likes me, Rose. Except your dad. I just can't decide if it's because I'm a guy, or because I'm a Malfoy."

"Definitely the latter," she replied. "But I don't care. I love you." She sat up and turned to face him. Lightly, she kissed his lips. "Dance with me?"

"Always," Scorpius said with a smile. He kissed her one more time before letting her up, and leading her out to the dance floor.

Across the way, Hugo felt a hand clap his shoulder as he danced with Paisley on his toes. He'd know that hand clap anywhere, and as he could see Rose and Scorpius dancing rather closely together, he kept his focus on Paisley. "You're dancing so well, P!" Hugo cheered, using his nickname for her.

Paisley smiled, her ginger pigtails with their big pink bows swaying as she danced with her brother. "I'm a very good dancer!"

"You are!" Hugo cheered.

"Hugo," Ron said, hand still on his son's shoulder.

"Dad," Hugo replied, ignoring his tone. "Isn't P a great dancer?"

"Yes Daddy! Aren't I good?" Paisley inquired.

"Of course, sweetie," Ron said, his eyes still locked on Rose and Scorpius. "Hugo, how serious is this?"

"Paisley seemed pretty serious."

"Don't play dumb, Hugo. It doesn't suit you."

Hugo stopped dancing with his sister and pointed over towards Molly and Arthur. "Go show Papa your dancing skills," he encouraged Paisley. Go get Parker and have him dance with Nana so she isn't left out. I'll come find you in a bit ok?"

Paisley nodded, skipping over to find Parker, leaving her brother and her father.

"Hugo."

"Dad - why do you care?" Hugo asked quietly, not wanting to draw attention from his sister to the two of them. "He makes her happy."

Ron groused. "He isn't good enough for her. No Malfoy is."

"You really need to get over that, Dad. Seriously. Everyone else has."

"Well until you're locked in a dungeon, listening to the woman you love screaming as she's being tortured -"

"Who, Lavender?" Hugo asked in a terse voice. "Because you can't be talking about _my mother_. My mother, who you left. You don't get to play that card, Dad. You just don't."

He tried to walk away, but in the process, ran smack into Lavender. "Just the person I was looking for!" she gushed, grinning from ear to ear as she hugged him. "I have a girl for you to meet," she said with an obnoxious eyebrow wiggle. "It's my cousin's daughter. She's your age and -"

"Sorry, Lavender," Hugo said with a pained smile. "I'm sure she's lovely, but I'm not interested."

"That's because you haven't _met_ her yet," Lavender said. "Come. She's over this way."

"Lavender, really," Hugo said, trying hard to be polite. He saw Rose looking at him, her eyes asking if he was ok. He tried to nod her off but it didn't work. She abruptly stopped dancing with Scorpius and started walking towards him.

"She's goes to school at Beauxbatons," Lavender continued, waving for her cousin's daughter to walk over to them. "And she's _very_ pretty."

"What's happening over here?" Rose asked, making her presence known.

"What are you doing with the Malfoy boy?" Ron asked.

"Knitting a sweater," she deadpanned.

"Rose -"

"We're dating, Dad," Rose said. "Dating. In love. I love him."

"You don't know anything about love," Ron argued. "You're too young."

Rose laughed. "Please. You don't get to lecture me on love."

"Rose, what I think your father means to say -"

"Lavender, no offense, but you don't get to talk to me about this either," Rose interrupted. "I have a mother."

"Rose!" Ron shouted. "Show Lavender some respect!"

"Ron, it's fine," Lavender said, trying to calm her new husband down.

"No it isn't," Ron said.

"You want me to show Lavender respect?" Rose questioned. "Then do the same for Scorpius."

"You don't get to tell me what to do," Ron retorted, his cheeks red. "You are a child."

"I am _of_ _age_ ," Rose corrected her father, now standing toe to toe with him. "I am not a little girl anymore."

"Here's Coco!" Lavender squealed, interrupting the staring match between Rose and Ron. "Her name's Claudia, of course, but we all call her Coco." Coco was a mousey girl, with limp curly hair and a headband pushing it back away from her face. "Coco - this is the boy I was telling you about," she gushed, trying to fluff Coco's hair. "Isn't he handsome?"

Coco smiled, a mouth full of metal appearing as she nodded. "Hi," she said, shyly.

"Hi," Hugo said, trying not to be rude. "Look - I'm sure you're a nice girl, but -"

"But what?" Ron asked. "She's a pretty girl. You're a good looking bloke. Take her out and dance."

"Dad…"

"Dad he doesn't want to," Rose said, trying to intervene. "Leave him alone."

"What? He's a boy - she's a girl."

"Exactly," Hugo muttered.

"What was that?" Ron asked. "I didn't here you."

"Hugo," Rose whispered, eyes wide. "You don't have to."

Hugo looked up at his father. "I said 'exactly'."

Ron looked confused.

"Dad - I don't like girls."

Ron blinked. "I'm confused. Why wouldn't you like girls?"

"Because I'm gay."


	3. Expressions

Harry Potter leaned over Hugo, a wand at his nephew's cheekbone as he quietly closed the gash. Rose sat at her brother's side, arm linked with his, glaring at their father who was getting reamed by both Aunt Ginny and Nana. By this point the guests at the wedding had started to quickly disappear, leaving just the immediate, albeit large family to deal with the aftermath of Hugo's confession.

"Your father has an idiotic temper," Harry said to Hugo as he healed the bruise forming under his eye next. "Not that it makes it right."

Hugo shrugged his shoulders. "He didn't act any differently than I thought he wouldn't."

"That doesn't make it right," Rose hissed. "When Mum hears about this -"

"Your mother will be fine," Harry reassured Rose and Hugo.

"She's going to kill him," Rose fumed.

"Your mother isn't going to risk Azkaban over your father," Harry said with a rueful chuckle. "She loves you both too much" He took a step back and got a good look at his nephew's mended face. "I will say though, like your father, you have horrible timing."

Hugo looked down at his shoes. "It just spilled out, Uncle Harry."

Harry ruffled his nephew's thick red locks. "I know, Bear," he said, using Hugo's childhood nickname Harry had for him. Hugo's penchant for long naps lead to that name, as Harry often teased that Hugo was practicing for hibernation with his nephew's ability to nap anywhere at any time - especially after a Molly Weasley meal. "Besides - your father is thicker than most. Your confession was hardly news to anyone that knows you."

Rose stood up from her chair, unable to take anymore of the chaos. She marched over to her father, pushing past her aunt and grandmother, and gave her father a good shove in the chest. Years of pent up frustration and rage at her father for his actions, his choices, the divorce, were simmering at the edge of her ability to rationally think. "What is the matter with you!" she shouted, her anger starting to manifest in tears. "He is your _son_! My _brother_!"

Ron looked as if he was going to try to speak, but every time his mouth opened, words faltered.

She shoved him again. "Why did you do this to him?! Why did you do this to us?!"

"Rose -"

"Why aren't we enough?!" She went to shove him again, but felt an arm wrap around her, trapping her arms to her sides. Rose knew it was Scorpius, and went limp as he hugged her back tight to his chest. "We were never enough," she said through a choked sob. Her loose chignon was starting to loose wisps of curls as they hung around her face.

Hugo now stood at Scorpius' side, as Molly turned her attention to her granddaughter. With gentle hands, she placed them on Rose's cheeks and tilted her face up to meet her eyes. Her thumbs gently wiped away her tears. "You were always enough," she whispered, soft yet fierce. She moved one hand from Rose's cheek and grabbed Hugo's hand. "You both were. Don't let his actions ever make you think otherwise."

"Hey! I'm still here!" Ron shouted, his ears red, rage enabling him to speak again. "And I never made either of you feel like you weren't enough!"

"You punched your son!" Ginny shouted. "Who does that!"

"I - he - I just - he - I don't know!" Ron exclaimed back. "I wasn't expecting what he said - and I just - I lost it! It's no excuse and I immediately regretted it once it happened!"

Lavender, who had been quiet this whole time, was grateful for James and Albus, who managed to usher her little ones away from the chaos before it reached it's current state of ugly. She placed a hand on Ron's arm, and looked at him with disappointed eyes. "What you did was wrong, Ron."

"I'm not saying it was right!"

"No…I mean, what you did, what we did, it was wrong," Lavender reiterated. She turned her attention to Rose and Hugo. "I know…I know you both hate me, and your father for how this happened," she said. "All of it. The pregnancy, the divorce, the wedding - it wasn't fair to the two of you."

Rose sniffled, snorting as she wiped away a stray tear. "Or my mother."

"This isn't about her, it's about the two of you," Lavender said, ignoring Rose's dig. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for how you feel, I'm sorry things didn't work out the way you wanted. I'm sorry your father has a temper but Hugo - you really did feed into it when you told him about working for Draco Malfoy last night -"

"Wait - you mean to tell me that Dad hitting my brother was _justified!?"_ Rose seethed.

"No - I'm just saying he was already wound up, and his news just…unfortunately pushed him over the edge," Lavender explained, trying to defend her husband as she held his hand with hers.

Rose looked up at Scorpius, her cheeks red. "We need to go," she said. "Before I do something I regret later."

With a nod, he kissed the top of her head. "Hugh - let's go."

"My son isn't going anywhere with you. Neither is my daughter."

In a flash, Rose managed to release herself from Scorpius hold, snatch her wand from her ankle holster, and had the tip of the 15 inch vine wood a breath's away from the tip of her father's nose. "We are leaving," she said. "I don't know about Hugo - but consider this the last time you see me for a _very_ long time."

Harry knew his niece was as scary of a witch when angry as her mother, as did the rest of the small group now standing in the middle of the abandoned dance floor. Carefully, he approached Rose, and gently guided her wand arm down to her side. He kissed her cheek, and looked over to Scorpius. "You got this?" he asked.

Nodding, Scorpius had Hugo's hand in one of his, and took Rose's hand in his other, disapparating on the spot.

* * *

"Merlin and Morgana, what have I gotten myself into."

"A battle of the minds."

Draco stared at Hermione, the two of them sitting at the end of the long dining room table inside the villa. Rain settled in late in the afternoon, and so Hermione disapparated back home and reappeared five minutes later with _Scrabble_ in her hand. It was a muggle board game she loved, but no one would ever play with her because she always won. However, knowing Draco, she decided he could potentially be a formidable foe, and he was. Each of them were sitting with one game a piece in the win column. The third game, they decided to make interesting - only spelling words in their Latin form.

"Admit it," Hermione said as she took a sip of her wine. "This is much more fun than _Exploding Snap_."

"It certainly requires more thought," Draco said, his eyes flicking between the board and the tiles on his tray. "And this is a common Muggle game?"

She nodded. "My parents and I used to play it all the time. It's actually how I learned to spell. Mum made a list of 3 and 4 letter words when I was four years old, and that's how we would play."

"So the know it all-ness began at an early age," he teased, placing the word _insulam_ on the board. "Island - insulam."

"You know you don't have to give me the translation. I speak Latin," Hermione said in her best imitation of a Malfoy drawl.

"And French."

"And a fair bit of German."

"But no Bulgarian."

"Only the dirty words."

Draco arched an eyebrow as Hermione placed the word _vitae_ on the board, using the 'a' in _insulam_. "You and Krum?" he asked.

"I don't kiss and tell," Hermione replied, refilling her glass.

"Oh, but now I'm intrigued," Draco said with a chuckle. "After all, I assumed that was a rumor."

"Because it was," Hermione replied. "But you've met my ex-husband. He believes what he wants. Viktor and I are just good friends."

"Good friends that teach each other dirty words in their native tongue?"

"He started dating an English girl right after I had Rose," she explained. "He was trying to write a poem."

"Which I imagine you wrote."

Hermione laughed. "Well, he wanted to impress her, so yes, I wrote it. His was too caveman like."

Draco finished off the scotch in his glass. "Now you _must_ tell me what it said."

She giggled. "Absolutely not."

"Oh please? Pretty please Granger? Indulge me."

Sighing, she rolled her eyes for added measure as he placed another word on the board, _stultus._ "Idiot?" She question, nodding at his word.

"Fitting given the topic of our conversation."

"You're such an ass."

"Yes. Now tell me. What did it say?"

Rolling her eyes again, she sat up and gathered her letters. "It said, and I'm of course paraphrasing, something to the effect of _you have pretty eyes, and I want to lick your tits."_

Howling, Draco slapped his leg as Hermione shook her head. "That's…that's…dear Merlin. Please tell me there was more."

She shook her head. "I gave you the first line and the last line. No need for you to hear the rest."

"Wow…" he said, watching as she placed her tiles on the board. "Just…wow."

"Wow indeed," Hermione replied. "Q-u-o-d. On a triple word score. 42 points."

"Fuck you, Granger," Draco playfully groused.

Hermione laughed. "You know you're enjoying this just as much as I am. I haven't had this much fun playing since Rose and I played over holiday break. She's the only one that can give me a run for my money."

Draco believed that, knowing Rose was a carbon copy of her mother in all ways except her hair. He was actually was enjoying himself playing this game, but he wasn't surprised by it. He enjoyed most things with Hermione. There wasn't anyone else he could talk with as easily as he could with her. She could keep up with any conversation, and if she had nothing to say she didn't. She could listen when he needed it, yell at him when he deserved it, and her friendship - as odd as it maybe - was the only one he cared about in his adult years. He also enjoyed the relationship his son had with her daughter. He never thought he'd live to see the day that he'd be happy about his son dating anyone with the last name _Weasley_ , but she made him happy, and his son's happiness was the most important thing to him.

The board was quickly filling, and he was out of room to play anything. With a dramatic sigh, he wielded victory to his opponent, and leaned back in the dining room chair. "I'm just glad I won one of the games."

Hermione smirked, folding up the board slightly so she could dump the tiles away into the little bag where they belonged. "You were right, by the way," she said out of the blue as she packed the game into its box.

"I'm often right, but feel free to clarify," Draco replied.

"About this weekend. Coming here," Hermione said.

"Villas fix everything," Draco replied. "And you're always welcome here."

She looked at him, biting her lip slightly. "You mean that?"

"Of course I do. You, Rose, Hugo - you're welcome to use this any time you want."

"That's…very kind of you. Thank you."

He shrugged. "Why so surprised?"

Hermione had her fore and middle finger straddled against the stem of her wine glass, slowly swishing the red wine in a clockwise circle with subtle movements of her hand. "I'm not sure, I guess."

"We're friends, right?" he asked.

She nodded, still looking at her glass. "I feel…like you're the only friend I have some days. Which is silly, I guess. Harry is my friend. Ginny too. But my friends - they're also Ron's friends. Or family. You're the only real friend I have that is mine, you know?"

"I felt that way when Astoria and I divorced," Draco said. "All of our friends were mutual."

"Astoria and I are friends though."

"Not like we are."

She nodded. "True. She and I were were more work colleagues than anything. We definitely didn't interact much outside of work and of course, Scorpius and Rose."

"Those two…there's a good chance Astoria has their wedding already planned you know."

Hermione smiled. "They're well suited for each other."

"He's a lucky bloke. Being able…to love whomever he chooses," Draco stated in the plainest of ways. "I tell him that often."

She sipped her wine. "If you could do your childhood over again, what would you change?"

He snorted. "Everything."

"Pick one."

"You first."

Hermione smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles in her plain gray v-neck t-shirt. "I would have been less annoying. Tried to make more friends maybe."

"You can't change who you are," Draco said.

"Are you calling me annoying?"

"No - you're just annoying to anyone that hasn't got the good sense God gave a flobberworm," he said with a wry smile. "And that just so happens to be the majority of people you come into contact with."

Hermione scoffed.

"Besides," Draco added. "I figured you'd say you regretted punching me in the face third year and breaking my nose."

"I absolutely don't regret punching you and I'd do it again," she said matter-of-factly.

"You're such a swot."

"I'm aware," she replied. "Now you go. Pick one one thing."

"I wouldn't have become a Death Eater."

She shook her head. "Doesn't count."

"How does that not count!"

"Because you did it to save your mother, and it's too obvious. Pick again."

Draco groused. "Is it possible that alcohol makes you bossier?"

"No - I just loose my filter to reign in in."

"You mean you have a filter?"

Hermione mocked him with a high pitched mimic. "Quit stalling. What's the one thing you'd do over?"

Draco stood up and walked over towards the corner cabinet where a new bottle of firewhiskey was waiting for him "We don't have enough alcohol for this conversation."

She didn't understand what he meant, but that also didn't seem to matter because in that moment, one of the villa elves appeared, telling the two of them that Scorpius, Rose, and Hugo had arrived.


	4. Comforts

"Where are we?"

"Greece," Scorpius answered Hugo. He still had a hold of Rose's hand as he looked around his bedroom at his family's beachside villa. "It's where I like to come when I want peace and quiet."

His room was decked out in quidditch posters on the walls, a color theme of light blues and sea foam greens splashed against the walls and bedding. He'd brought Rose here two summers ago. It was walking along the beach that he got the nerve to tell her he loved her for the first time, and how he rolled his eyes when she responded with, _I know_. She of course told him she felt the same way, but not after he grabbed her by the waist and spun her around in circles for her playfully glib answer.

 _"_ _You're the worst sort of girlfriend, you know that!" he shouted as he spun her around._

 _Rose laughed wickedly. "I'm the best sort of girlfriend!"_

 _Scorpius chuckled as he put her down, spinning her around to face him. "I tell you I love you, and your response is 'I know.' Who does that?"_

 _Grinning, Rose stood up on her tiptoes and gave her beau a kiss. "I thought it would be funny. And it was."_

 _He shook his head. "What am I going to do with you, Rose Weasley?"_

 _"_ _Keep me. You're stuck with me, Malfoy."_

 _"_ _There are worst people to be stuck with."_

 _"_ _I'm the best person to be stuck with," Rose countered, her arms wrapped around his neck as she hugged her chest to his. "No one loves you like I do."_

Rose pulled her shoes off with her free hand and tossed them over towards the closet door. "I'm so over this day," she muttered.

He kissed her temple. "Why don't you go take a bath or something? I'll go get Hugo settled in the room across the hall."

"Alright," Rose said. "I'm going to have to borrow some clothes."

"You know where they are," he said. "I'll have Lulu go and fetch your things. And Hugo's too."

Rose nodded. She looked over at Hugo, who looked completely blank in his expression. "Hey," she said with a snap of her fingers. "You ok?"

Hugo shrugged. "I don't really know. Or no? I mean, no. I'm not ok. I just…"

"It's fine," Rose reassured him. She walked over and pulled him into a fierce hug. "You are the best person I know," she whispered in his ear.

Hugo hugged her back, his eyes squeezed as tight as her hug. He let her go, his eyes glassy as he opened them, blinking purposefully as to keep any tears brewing at bay. "You said the room across the hall?" he asked Scorpius.

Scorpius nodded. "Absolutely. Let me show you."

The room across the hall was similar in colors, but clearly a guest room as it was thoughtfully decorated instead of bearing the mark of a frequent visitor. Scorpius showed Hugo the en suite bathroom, and opened the balcony doors to a great view of the glow of the village lights. He suggested that Hugo do the same as his sister - take a shower, bath, or whatever he preferred - knowing that his girlfriend and her brother were similar in that usually either would get them to relax a bit.

Hugo pulled at his necktie and sat down on the end of the bed. "What are the chances that we can just hide here forever?" he half joked.

Scorpius chuckled. "You're always welcome here," he said. "I love your sister. You by nature are just a bonus part of that deal. Besides. Who else would talk to me about quidditch? You know Rose can't."

"Ha," Hugo scoffed. "I think you're a glutton for punishment with that one. She's bloody mental."

"She absolutely is at times," Scorpius agreed. "But she loves you."

"Which also might be more trouble than it's worth."

Scorpius shook his head. "Nah. You're definitely worth it. Don't let your dad make you think otherwise, you know?"

Hugo nodded, looking down as he pulled off his shoes. "I know. He'll cool off eventually. He always does. Doesn't make the whole thing hurt less, but it'll sort itself out."

Furrowing his brow, Scorpius stared at Hugo as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Hugo…you're allowed to be mad at your dad. You know that, right?"

Sighing, Hugo pulled the loose tie from his neck and looked up at Hugo. "It doesn't make a difference whether or not I'm mad, mate. He's the only dad I have."

"I know…I just don't want you to think you have to immediately forgive, you know? You're allowed to be mad and to process your feelings. What he did was unspeakable."

"I can't help that I'm gay, and he can't help how he feels," Hugo replied plainly. "It is what it is."

"No…Hugo. No," Scorpius gently contradicted. "Parents…they're supposed to love you unconditionally."

"Love, yes," Hugo agreed. "I know my dad loves me. I just don't think he likes who I am."

Unsure of what to say about Hugo's words, void of any emotion, Scorpius left Hugo to his thoughts and quietly walked out of the room. He paced for a bit up and down the hall, a distressed Weasley on opposite sides of the wall. He glanced down at his wrist watch. It was nearly half past nine, though it felt much later. He continued to pace, hands in his pockets. His heart broke for Hugo. He wasn't the biggest fan of Ron Weasley, especially given everything he heard from Rose during the divorce. He was always respectful of the man, given that Scorpius was in love with his daughter, but he didn't agree with most of the older man's choices. Scorpius often found Ron Weasley to be quite the enigma, never quite knowing where to start unraveling the complexity of his personality or his choices.

He knew that Ron would always be part of his life though. Even if Rose was seething mad at the man, he was as Hugo pointed out, the only father the two of them had. In this moment, he was terribly glad his parents figured out how to be civil with each other after they divorced, and how both of them loved him unconditionally.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Lulu - did you just say the children were here?"

The little elf nodded quickly as she clutched the end of the white apron she wore over her dress. "Yes sir! And Master Scorpius' guests seem terribly upset as well. Lulu must go fetch their things and bring them back at once per Master Scorpius' orders."

Before Draco and Hermione could say anything else, Lulu disappeared.

Hermione downed the last of her wine and then chased it with Draco's half drank glass of scotch. "Something must have happened at the wedding. Damn it! I knew I should have gone and stayed nearby."

Draco grabbed his empty glass from her hand. "First of all - I can't believe you drank my drink. Second of all - I'm most certain you're attendance at what was probably the tackiest wedding in all of Europe was not necessary." He stood up from his chair and nodded his head towards the hallway where the staircase lead to the second floor. "Come on - let's go find them."

Hermione stood up, lips pursed, silently fuming as she followed Draco. She couldn't imagine what could have possibly happened to make them both so upset. She did, however, have a startling epiphany halfway up the stairs. Hermione quickly grabbed Draco's forearm, squeezing it tight.

"What?" he asked.

"The children," Hermione said. "We are both here. They're going to think…"

"Naturally, being your children, I'm sure all they _do_ is think."

"Shut it," she quipped. "I mean, they're going to think that you…me…"

Draco looked at Hermione, head tilted to the side. "Not following, Granger."

"You aren't this thick!" she hissed. "They're going to think we were…you know…doing _things_."

"Scrabble and booze. How _salacious_ ," Draco mocked. "You worry too much. We will just tell them the truth. I wanted a holiday weekend. You needed to get out of London. They know we are friends. We can even show them you have a separate room." He carefully pried her fingers from his forearm, his hand now holding her wrist. "Come on, let's see what happened."

She nodded. "Right. Let's go."

He dropped her wrist and resumed climbing the stairs, Hermione close behind him.

The two of them silently rounded one corner, than another on the second floor until they found Scorpius pacing back and forth, looking down at his shoes as he walked. As they two of them approached, Scorpius looked up, caught off guard by the sound of footsteps.

"Dad!" he exclaimed. "What are you - Hermione? Wait? How did you know we were here?"

"Decided to get away for the weekend," Draco replied. "Brought Granger with me so she could avoid the press left behind to follow her given the events of the weekend."

Scorpius looked over at Hermione. "Hey Ms. Granger."

"You know you can call me Hermione."

"I'll get there eventually," Scorpius half teased.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked. "Lulu said you brought Rose and Hugo."

Scorpius went into the events of the evening, not really comfortable with relaying all the information while also knowing that he was probably the only one that could do it rationally. If Rose had to rehash it, she was likely to make something explode with her magic given how distraught she was. And Hugo, well, Hugo made it clear he wanted to be alone. But with each of them having a parent here, he realized that was definitely not likely to happen.

Hermione swallowed her anger as she listened to Scorpius. "Which room is Hugo in?"

"I imagine this one," Draco said, pointing to the correct room.

Scorpius nodded. "Yes. Rose is in my room. I uh…I'm sorry. I figured no one was here."

"Why are you apologizing?" Hermione asked. "I'm very…I'm just…thank you, Scorpius." She walked over and kissed his cheek in a motherly way. "You are a good man. My daughter is _incredibly_ lucky to be with someone like you."

"Thanks," he replied, his pale cheeks tinting pink. "I really appreciate you saying that.

She looked over at Draco. "I'm going to go check on Hugo. Would you happen to have the necessary ingredients to make hot cocoa by chance?"

"For you?"

"No. Coffee for me if you have it. But Hugo doesn't like coffee, and it's what I usually make him when he's upset."

Draco nodded. "I'm sure I can manage something. I'll have it brought up."

Hermione gave him a grateful smile. She walked over to Hugo's door and gave it a slight knock, waiting to hear his voice before entering.

* * *

Scorpius walked back into his room, collecting Rose's clothes from the floor. He draped her dress over the back of his suede, wing backed reading chair in the corner, along with her undergarments. He began to disrobe himself, placing his own dress clothes in a nice, neatly folded pile on the chair as well until he was left just in his boxers. Entering the bathroom, he could smell vanilla scented soap coming from the bath alcove. Rounding the corner, he found Rose submerged in bubbles, her hair still done up from the wedding as she leaned her neck back against the bath pillow along the lip of the large garden tub.

"Found some soap?"

"From the last time we were here," Rose replied, eyes still shut. "Not that I mind smelling like you of course, but I much prefer smelling like me."

"I much prefer you smelling like you as well," Scorpius agreed. "Fancy sharing the bath?"

She cracked an eye open. "That sounds delightful."

He discarded his boxers and climbed in behind her as she gracefully slid forward. Rose leaned back against his chest, sighing as his arms wrapped around her as he bent down to kiss the crook of her neck. "This could be the best part about not being in school anymore, you know."

Scorpius moved to kiss her neck. "I agree. This is also going to be the best part of sharing a flat together."

"Mmmhmm," she hummed in agreement. "Thank you so much for bringing us here. For taking care of Hugo."

His teeth lightly nipped at her earlobe, his lip slightly scratching against her diamond stud earring. "I love Hugo like a brother," he said. "And I love how you love him even more," Scorpius confessed. "He's lucky to have a big sister like you."

Rose tilted her neck to the side, grabbing of his hands. She clasped her hand he had splayed across her chest, just under her breasts. "I'm lucky to have you," she said. "You have no idea how much I love you."

"As much as I love you, I imagine."

She hummed again. "Scorp?"

"Rose?"

She tilted her head up and pecked her lips on his jaw. "Thank you."

* * *

Hermione's heart broke as she saw her tall, lanky son curled up into a ball on the bed like a small child. Her hand over her heart, she steeled her emotions and walked carefully over to the opposite side of where her son lay, and sat down on the edge. She leaned over and reached a hand to Hugo's back, rubbing it slightly.

"I'm fine Rosie. Really," Hugo mumbled.

"It's not Rosie."

Hugo whipped himself around, his eyes red and wide as he looked at his mother. "But…why are you here?"

"Mr. Malfoy let me come and hide here this weekend," she said softly, brushing his thick auburn locks away from his forehead. "Thought I would avoid the paparazzi waiting to catch photos of the sad ex wife."

Chuckling, Hugo wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Are you here alone?"

She shook her head. "Mr. Malfoy came with. He thought I could use a friend."

Hugo nodded, staying silent as he hugged the pillow he shared with the side of his face.

She moved to lay down next to him, a hand stroking his face. "Mummy loves you," she whispered.

"I know," he whispered back. "I love you too."

And with those words, Hugo curled into his mother, sobbing into her chest as she hugged him tight.

* * *

Draco worked in the kitchen, with five mugs on a tray. He had a pot of coffee brewing and a pot on the stove cooking hot cocoa. He had a tin of assorted biscuits on the counter as well, figuring everyone could do with a snack before they called it a night. He knew Ron Weasley was a temperamental fool, but he didn't think was _that_ stupid. Draco also couldn't figure out what it was that big of a surprise. When Hermione confided in him Hugo's conversation from Christmas, he looked at Hermione and laughed.

 _"_ _And?"_

 _"_ _And what?" Hermione asked. "He's gay. Why are you laughing?"_

 _"_ _I'm waiting for the part where I'm supposed to be surprised. You said I was going to be surprised."_

 _Hermione stared at Draco as the two of them ate lunch in The Leaky Cauldron. "You mean…you aren't?"_

 _"_ _Of course not. Were you?"_

 _She shook her head. "No. I mean, I've assumed for awhile. But why aren't you surprised?"_

 _Draco shrugged. "I'm an incredibly perceptive person, Granger. I read people very well. That and I've been with him at a fair few quidditch matches with Scorpius. Let's just say he has the same look on his face when the male quidditch team members fly by that my son has when he sees your daughter."_

The sound of apparition lead him to believe Lulu was back with the children's belongings. What he didn't expect to see was Harry Potter walking into his kitchen behind the elf.

"Malfoy."

"Potter. Why are you in my house?"

Harry shrugged. "Saw your elf. Thought I'd come check on my nephew. Why are you here?"

"Because…it's my house."

"Right," Harry said with an awkward laugh. "Sorry. I uh, Lulu said that Hermione was here, and I wasn't expecting, you know, to see you too."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Stop stammering like you've interrupted something. We are _just_ friends."

"Which I appreciate," Harry replied with sincerity. "Has she seen Hugo?"

"She's with him now," Draco replied, nodding towards the second floor. "Question for you though. Is your idiot brother-in-law still breathing?"

Harry furrowed his brow. "Yes."

"Why?" Draco asked. "How did you not kill him on the spot for what he did to Hugo."

He sighed. "Well to be honest, I thought Molly was going to. He's not worth risking Azkaban, as I told Hugo and Rose."

"That's debatable," Draco muttered, hands braced on the kitchen island. "Hugo is a great kid. I don't understand what in the actual fuck that idiot was thinking."

"He wasn't," Harry replied. "That's what Ron does. He reacts first, thinks later, and it always ends in regrets."

"He's not a teenage idiot anymore."

"You're right. He's a grown idiot."

Draco sighed. "Well be warned - Granger is seething with rage right now. It would probably be best if you saw her later."

Harry nodded in agreement. "I definitely don't want to be in the path of that. I just wanted to make sure my godchildren were ok. Seems they are in good hands." He went to walk out of the kitchen, then paused. "Oh by the way - Hugo said he has an internship with you this summer."

"Yes. He's a bright kid. Figure if he has an interest, he may as well figure it out now."

"He's very excited about it," Harry said. "Thanks for giving him the opportunity."

Draco chuckled. "Why are you thanking me?"

"Because my ass of a brother-in-law won't," Harry replied. "You're a good man, Draco. More people should acknowledge it." He glanced down at his wrist watch. "Ah. I definitely need to be getting back. Al managed to light some frilly decorative thing on fire in his hotel room last night, so I'm now spending the night in the boys room because, well, my wife said I had to and it's best if I just do what I'm told."

Laughing, Draco snagged a few napkins out of a drawer and placed them on his tray. "Is that the secret to marriage?"

"It's the secret to mine," Harry replied with a smirk. "Have a good night, Draco."

"You too, Harry."

* * *

Scorpius held open a blue satin kimono printed with pink and white flowers for Rose, helping her into it as she wore her pink pajama pants and a black vest underneath. Her hair was up undone from the wedding now, damp from the bath and tied up in a messy bun. He had on a thin white t-shirt with a pair of loose pajama bottoms thanks to Lulu retrieving their luggage.

"Let's go back to Japan someday," Rose said as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "That was such a great school exchange trip."

"We can go wherever we want," Scorpius replied, playfully plucking her nose. "Whenever we want."

She grinned. "You spoil me."

"You make it easy." He pressed a light kiss to her lips. "My dad is downstairs, by the way."

Rose's head twitched. "What? Your dad is here?"

He nodded. "With your mom."

"What!"

"Yes."

"What!" she repeated. "Why!"

Scorpius shrugged. "Dad thought she might need a place of refuge this weekend."

"Mmhmm," Rose hummed thoughtfully. "He was probably right. That was awfully kind of your dad. Remind me to make sure to thank him."

He laughed, grabbing her arms and pulling her arms from his waist. His hands found hers as he gave them a squeeze. "I'm sure no thanks is needed. The two of them get along quite well when they aren't arguing with each other."

"My parents used to argue," Rose said. "Your dad and my mom don't argue. They debate and have intelligent conversations. They're both brilliant."

"As are we," Scorpius mused. "Except I was first in our class this year."

"Oh will you quit reminding me!" Rose whined. "By one measly point. I'm still vexed by it."

He laughed, pulling her towards the door. "Come on. Let's go say hello. Your mum told Dad to make some hot cocoa, which means he most likely did it."

Rose smiled. "That does sound good. Do you think he has marshmallows too?"

"If he doesn't, Lulu will find us some."

"Ok…well, if that's the case, we better get down there and see before Mum comes down. If she knows I asked an elf to find me marshmallows I'll never live it down."

"I promise I'll take full responsibility for it if she finds out."

Grinning, she squeezed his hand. "Alright. Let's go."


	5. Truths

_Hugo,_

 _I know you and your father are not on speaking terms, and as I told him this morning when he dropped the twins off, I don't blame him. However, Paisley and Parker miss you dreadfully. If I promise that your father won't come within 1000 yards of the house, your papa and I would love to have you over this afternoon to play with children and for supper if you don't have plans after your work with Mr. Malfoy._

 _Kisses,_

 _-Nana_

Hugo folded up the letter he received that morning from his grandmother and placed it into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. It'd been two weeks since the wedding. He made a mental note to reply once he got to work, returning back to his cereal and morning edition of _The Daily Prophet_. There was a picture and an article in the lower right corner about his father and his step-mother's return from their honeymoon holiday, which elicited an eye roll and a groan from behind him. The article also mentioned that no one had seen his former wife since the nuptuals.

"She is such a fame whore."

"You kiss your boyfriend with that mouth?"

Rose laughed as she shuffled her feet over to the coffee maker, snagging a mug and pouring a cup. "Sure do. How's the internship going?"

"Really good," Hugo said, folding up the paper and tossing it aside. "Mr. Malfoy is just…so smart, and when I sit in on meetings, watching him decide if he's going to choose to represent a case, it's fascinating. It's a lot like watching Mum in action. They are just always thinking."

Rose nodded in agreement. She leaned back in the kitchen chair, and brought her knees up to her chest as the heels of her feet leaned into the edge of her chair. She balanced her coffee cup on her knees with the help of her hands. "Scorpius said his dad mentioned you have potential when we were at dinner last night and that he'd be happy to mentor you if you want it."

His eyes lit up a bit at his sister's words, then gave her a cautious glance. "You aren't just taking the piss out of me, right?"

"Nope," Rose said. "Besides, I never take the piss out of you. You on the other hand -"

"Love you _very, very much,_ " Hugo gushed, dramatically clapping a hand over his heart. "And would _never_ do something so _terrible_ to my _favorite sister!"_

Rose giggled. "You're ridiculous."

"Not ridiculous, but enough about me - what about you?" he asked. "You've been a lady of leisure for two weeks now. What's your game plan this summer?"

"I'm going to start studying," Rose said. "The London Library has a desk with my name on it, and I'll be there eight hours a day, every day, studying." She took a sip of her coffee. "The placement test is two months away."

"Placement test?"

She nodded. "All healers upon entering have to take placement tests. It tells the hospital which healthcare area the witch or wizard will excel in."

"Ah," Hugo said. "Any area in particular you want to be?"

"I'd like to be a pediatric healer," Rose said. "Or an OBGYN. I think I'd be happy with either."

"Really? A pediatric healer?"

"What's with the tone of surprise?"

"Uh…you don't like children?"

Rose leaned forward and set her coffee cup on the table. "What! I love children!"

"Paisley. Parker."

She rolled her eyes. "I love them. They're my siblings. They're just _terribly_ behaved."

"It's for attention," Hugo said. "The only time anyone pays attention to them at Dad's house is if they're in trouble. Dad and Lavender are too wrapped up in each other to notice them unless they are wreaking havoc." He finished off his oatmeal in the bowl in front of him and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "When they aren't around Dad and Lavender, they aren't terrible. Annoying, yes, but they're five. It's what they do." He stood up from his chair and pushed it in, knowing that untucked chairs drove his mother crazy - even if she was still in Greece. "I'm going to go to the Burrow after work and I'm eating with them. They have the kids. Nana said she will keep Dad away until I leave if you want to come."

Rose nodded. "Sure. Scorpius has practice until 9 tonight anyway."

"Speaking of - aren't you two supposed to be moving in together?"

"We will," Rose said. "I need to focus on these placement tests and Scorpius is constantly practicing with the team right now getting ready for the season. We don't need one more thing to do right now. I told him I'd work on finding us a flat as soon as my tests were over. Now that we're both of age, we don't have to sneak back and forth."

Hugo rolled his eyes. "I'd hardly call it sneaking around when both Mum and Mr. Malfoy knew what you two were doing."

"They did not!"

"If it makes you feel better to think that, go right on ahead," Hugo teased. "But Mum and Mr. Malfoy aren't daft. Dad on the other hand - completely oblivious."

* * *

Rose couldn't keep her focus at the library. She was there for a total of three hours, mindlessly highlighting and taking notes with her muggle materials before she closed her large medical text shut with a loud huff. She ignored the hisses of _shhh_ at her direction as she leaned back in the uncomfortable wooden library chair. Hugo's remarks about her dislike for children, though seemingly harmless on his end, had been swimming in her head all day. She couldn't help but feel guilty about the idea that it was possible for Paisley and Parker to think that she didn't love them. She always loved them. She didn't always _like_ them, of course, and she couldn't stand their mother, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized in fact that her actions these past few years could easily lead one to believe otherwise. She tossed her books and notes into her bag, ignoring the glares of others that assumed she could have been a bit more quiet in that endeavor and walked out of the library. She found her way down a side alley before apparating straight to the Burrow.

Walking up the dirt lane to her grandparents' home, she could see Parker and Paisley playing tag with each other outside. Parker noticed her first, stopping to wave at his big sister. Paisley ran into Parker, not noticing that he stopped.

"Rosie's here!" Parker announced with glee. "Hi Rosie!"

"Hi Rosie!" Paisley echoed. "Whatcha' doin at Nana's and Papa's house?"

Rose shrugged. "I was bored. Couldn't study. Thought I'd come visit."

"Are you going to come to our house later?" Parker asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

She shook her head. "Sorry buddy. I will have to get back to studying this evening. Hugo is coming over here though after he's done working for dinner. Do you think that's ok?"

Parker and Paisley both nodded. Both of them had the signature Weasley red hair, but their faces were much rounder than hers and Hugo's - a trait inherited from Lavender. Paisley's curls were also more defined and less frizzy than Rose's, and always up in two high pigtails with large bows attached to each.

"Is Nana inside?"

"Yep - she's baking chocolate biscuits!" Paisley exclaimed. "I wanted to help though. Parker too. Nana said no. She said we wasn't being good listeners."

"Hmm…Nana is pretty strict about being a good listener when you help her in the kitchen," Rose said. "It's so you don't get hurt."

"I just don't want to listen though," Paisley said, with all the blunt honesty a five year old could have. "I just want to do it my way."

"Me too," Parker agreed.

"Well, you _are_ five now," Rose said. "And the bigger you get, the more expectations you'll be required to have."

Parker and Paisley looked at Rose, completely puzzled. "I don't know what that means," Parker said.

"Me neither," Paisley chimed in.

Rose looked back at her siblings. "What, exactly, don't you understand?"

"Expections," Paisley said, hands on her hips.

"Expectations," Rose corrected Paisley. "It means…it means that grown ups expect you to follow rules more, and better, the older you get. It's ok to act silly and fun sometimes, and to do things the way you want to if you are able, but you're also expected to mind the adults that tell you what to do - especially if they tell you _not_ to do something."

"That doesn't sound very fun," Paisley commented.

"No fun," Parker reiterated.

"I know," Rose agreed. "But that's what happens when you get bigger. Lots of expectations." She ruffled Parker's hair and side-hugged Paisley. "Go back and play. I'm going to go see if I can help Nana."

The twins ran off, resuming their game of tag without missing a beat. Rose walked inside the Burrow, dropping her bag on the kitchen table. Molly Weasley was scooping raw biscuit dough onto a baking sheet when she looked up to find her elder granddaughter smiling back at her. "Well isn't this a lovely surprise!"

"I tried to study today. It wasn't going well," Rose said. "Care if I hang out here today?"

"Of course not," Molly said, waving her over so that she could help. "You know you're always welcome here. Can't say the same for your father at the moment. I still don't know what's gotten into him, but your papa has refused to let me beat it out of him." Molly summoned an additional baking sheet and a spoon for Rose to help. "Poor Hugo. I've been so worried about him since the wedding."

"He's ok, Nana," Rose reassured her grandmother. "We know how Dad is…not that it makes it right."

"Not right at all," Molly agreed. "I'm glad you came by though. Parker and Paisley - they're too little of course to understand why you and Hugo haven't been around their house, but I can tell they have missed you both.

Rose silently nodded, focusing on her biscuit batter scooping and placement. Her silence didn't go unnoticed by her grandmother, but Molly could tell her granddaughter's gears were turning in that her head of hers, and much like Hermione, Molly knew not to interrupt. Once the baking sheets were filled, Molly let Rose eat the last bits of the raw batter back at the table while she put the chocolate treats in the oven to bake. She pulled items out of the pantry to start lunch for the kids, keeping an eye on Rose, watching as she picked the dough off of the spoon while watching her siblings out the window.

"When are your placement exams again?" Molly inquired as she started to make sandwiches.

"Two months."

"Your mother said you were interested in being a midwife. Very noble profession."

Rose smiled, not bothering to correct her grandmother with the correct term as OBGYNs and midwives were very different. "Either that or pediatrics," she said cautiously, not looking at her grandmother. She didn't want to see the same look Hugo gave her.

"Pediatrics would also be very rewarding," Molly agreed. "It takes a special person to take care of little ones, after all."

"Mmmhmm," Rose hummed in agreement. She scraped the side of the batter bowl with her spoon. "Do um…do you think I could do pediatrics?"

Molly laughed. "Rosie - there isn't anything on this earth you couldn't do. You're just like your mother that way. Hugo too. All of you with ambition to the nines." She thought Rose would respond with a usual quip, but instead, her silence was deafening. "Do you doubt yourself?"

Rose shrugged. "No. Or I didn't, I guess. I don't know! I told Hugo about it this morning and he laughed at me and said he was surprised because I hated kids. And I don't hate kids. And then he pointed out that I don't like Parker and Paisley - but that's not true, Nana! They're my siblings!"

Molly nodded, watching as Rose verbally vomited her feelings that had clearly been percolating for a bit.

"Do you think I hate Parker and Paisley?" Rose asked Molly. "Be brutally honest."

Wiping her hands on her apron, Molly walked over so that she was standing in front of her granddaughter. She pulled the batter bowl from her hands so she could hold them. "I don't think you hate your siblings," Molly said, squeezing Rose's hands. "I think you have a lot of animosity towards their mother, and often times that animosity is unintentionally directed at them."

Rose looked down, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

"They're little and they're hellions for sure," Molly said with a chuckle. "They crave attention. You and Hugo were raised much differently. Your mother was very strict - not in a bad way - but she instilled in you both at an early age manners and expectations. Your father and Lavender parent very differently than the way your father and mother parented you and Hugo."

Rose sighed. "Hugo said the same thing. About the attention."

"Hugo inherited your mother's perception," Molly said, kissing Rose's cheek. "You are a very black and white thinking person, Rose. You get that from your father. But I also know that you have enough of your mother in you to override that urge with Parker and Paisley. They need guidance. And they couldn't ask for better older siblings for role models."

Nodding in agreement, Rose blinked away tears that threatened to fall. "Why am I still mad about all of this?" she asked Molly. "Why can't I just get over this? Mum seems over it. Hugo unfazed. And I feel like I'm just stuck in this constant state of…of…gah! I don't even know how to explain it! Why am I still so mad about this, Nana?"

Molly hugged her granddaughter tightly, kissing her temple. "Because you think in black and white. What your father did was wrong. How he treated your mother was wrong. And you worshiped your father. You two were thick as thieves when you were younger, and his actions shattered your vision of the man you looked up to. That's why you're still mad, Rosie."

"I don't want to be mad about it anymore," Rose said, a thumb brushing away a tear.

"If that's how you feel, then that's a choice you have to make," Molly said. "Now come on. Help me make lunch."

* * *

Draco arrived back at his private office on the north end of Diagon Alley after a day in the court room. He was victorious in all three cases - two of which specifically due to Hugo's extensive notes and research into old archaic laws that the wizarding world desperately needed to review and revise. Hugo had a talent for research and completing coherent and consider arguments. Of course, knowing who his mother was, Draco was hardly surprised. Hugo, much like Rose and Scorpius, was at the top of his class. He certainly wasn't one to be considered athletically inclined, but it never kept Hugo from enjoying as a spectator. Draco got to know Hugo during Scorpius' summer quidditch league games. Rose would just sit there and watch Scorpius, but Hugo would talk to Draco about all kinds of logistics about the game. He even put together an impressive stat sheet for Scorpius when he started receiving recruitment letters. Scorpius joked that Hugo should be his manager, but Hugo was insistent that he wanted to be a spectator.

"Hugo - once again you are a life saver," Draco announced as he walked into the conference room where Hugo was going through wizarding law resources. "Your report on ancient blood rituals saved my ass today in court."

Hugo grinned from ear to ear. "Excellent! I was afraid it was too much information when I wrote it -"

"It was perfect," Draco reassured Hugo as he took a seat across from him at the table. "You have a real talent. You've only been here for a couple of weeks, but you've been the best summer research assistant I've had since I opened my practice."

Hugo's ears turned red with the praise. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. I appreciate you saying that."

"Now if I could just get you to stop calling me Mr. Malfoy," Draco teased.

"Mum says it's not professional."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Your mother is a killjoy. Feel free to tell her I said that."

Hugo chuckled. "She's aware."

"Of course she is," Draco remarked with a slight eye roll. "You and Rose fairing all right with her away?"

Nodding, Hugo began to close up the open books in front of him and pack up his notes. "We're pretty self sufficient. That and you know, Nana keeps bringing over food." He levitated some of the larger books to their place back on the top shelf. "Thanks for you know…being her friend."

Draco leaned back in his chair, smoothing out his tie. "Hugo, you don't have to thank me for being your mother's friend. We aren't forced to be acquaintances."

"I know," Hugo said. "She's just alone a lot. Especially during the school year."

"You know your mother is the last person on earth you need to worry about, right?" Draco asked. "She's a force to reckon with on any given day."

Hugo nodded. "I know. I just…sometimes this world is just so small, you know?"

"Every day," Draco said with a snort.

"I wish sometimes our wizarding community wasn't so small," Hugo confessed. "If it were bigger, more common like Muggles, maybe Mum would have more privacy."

Draco wryly chuckled. "Your mother's quick thinking and intellect kept your Uncle Harry alive for 7 years. If this community was bigger, it would only mean more people would be interested in her."

Hugo frowned. "I forget that sometimes."

"That's because she's just your mother, to you anyway," Draco said. "She's a lot of things to a lot of people in our world. And she, like me, values her privacy. That's why people are always so nosy. Curiosity gets the best of people."

"How do you deal with being famous?" Hugo asked.

"I'm not famous," Draco said, very plainly. "I'm infamous. I'm the idiot that let Death Eaters into a castle full of children. I'm the unfortunate son of Lucius Malfoy. I'm the coward that didn't stop your mother from being tortured on the floor of my parents' home." He looked down at his hands, clasped together as his thumbs fidgeted.

"You know that no one who truly knows you thinks that, right?" Hugo quietly spoke. "You're a good teacher, a good mentor, and a good father. Scorpius is proof of that."

Draco gave Hugo a small smile. "I appreciate you saying that."

"Besides - you didn't have to change," Hugo added. "You chose to. And that takes a lot of courage."

"Choosing the life that makes you happy does take courage," Draco stated, giving Hugo a sincere look of understanding. "Don't let anyone make you feel bad about that. Do you hear me?"

Hugo swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy."

He playful scoffed. "Your mother is killing me."

"She's scary when you don't listen to her," Hugo said with a chuckle. "I'm headed out for the day. See you tomorrow!"

* * *

Draco walked out onto the terrace of his villa, a bottle of wine in one hand with two glasses in the other. Hermione was staring out at the ocean. He noticed her odd mood the moment he arrived, popping by to check on her like he did earlier last week. The faint sounds of music from the town square could be heard if you were quiet enough, as there was a festival happening this week.

"Well?" she asked when he didn't answer. "Do you?"

"Do you think you're hiding?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. Yes and no."

Draco sat down in the chair next to her, nodding back at the house. "You said you got your book finished, right?"

"I did. I'm mailing it off to my editor tomorrow."

He picked up his wine glass and propped his feet up on the rectangle shaped ottoman in front of the two chairs. "Well then I consider it a successful sabbatical. You're allowed a break every once in awhile, Granger. Hell - that was half the reason I bought this place."

She was silent again, staring out at the ocean as the sun began to set. She'd had a lot of time to think these past two weeks about everything. Hermione even let herself cry a few times, feeling better after each time. When she and Ron ended, she gave herself zero time to grieve. Her children were beside themselves, and she didn't want them to see that anything had affected her. She wanted to keep everything together as much as she could for them. Hermione was terrified for a bit that this would somehow ruin their childhood and effect who they became as they were entering their teenage years. She wasn't ashamed to admit she distracted herself from the reality of the unfortunate situation with work and raising Rose and Hugo.

"Your children are all right," Draco told Hermione. "Hugo said that Molly is making sure they don't starve."

Hermione smiled. "They love their nana's cooking."

"I love their nana's cooking," Draco remarked with a chuckle. "Hugo brought in these biscuits last week that were to _die_ for. I swear I gained 3 stones by the end of the afternoon."

"Lavender is a good cook as well," Hermione remarked, taking a sip of her wine.

"That's fucking random."

She shrugged. "It's the truth. I'm not much a cook. Never have been." She took another drink. "I wasn't much of a wife either now that I think about it."

"Where in the hell is this even coming from?" Draco asked, completely flabbergasted.

Eerily calm, Hermione kept staring out at the ocean. "I'm just stating a fact."

"I call bullshit."

"Call what you want," Hermione replied.

"What's gotten into you?" Draco asked.

"I've just had a lot of time to think," she confessed. "And I realized I'm quite selfish. Ron was right about that."

Draco stood up from his chair and moved to sit on the ottoman, right in front of her. "Are you ill?" he asked. His hands on her face, pulling her lower eyelids down like his mother used to do to him when she looked him over for injuries. "What is wrong with you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, pulling her head from his hands. "Nothing is wrong with me, Draco."

"What makes you think you were selfish?"

"Because I wanted it all," Hermione replied. "I wanted a family and I wanted a career. And I wasn't willing to sacrifice my career to be the wife he wanted."

"That's not being selfish," Draco said. "No one said you could only have one."

"Ron did, once," Hermione said, her eyes welling slightly with tears. "I went on a book tour. He was furious it was during the summer. But the kids understood and they were excited for me. It was my first book tour. And when I came back, he told me it wasn't his job to be a housewife."

Draco let out an exasperated sigh. "Remember what I told you when you hired me?"

"That I was too fucking smart to have married him in the first place," Hermione repeated, using the same sarcastic inflection in her voice just like he did.

"That's exactly what I was talking about. I wasn't talking about you being dumb _because_ you married him. I was talking about the fact that you were _too smart_ to be with someone like him. He's as thick as a brick." Draco forced her to look at him, his hand tilting her chin towards him. "Find your fire again, Granger."

She chuckled. "That train has long past the station, Draco. But bless you for thinking I could."

"I'm serious," Draco insisted. "You said to me once when Rose and Scorpius were just babies that I was able to choose what defines me. And now I'm telling you the same thing. Choose what defines you."


	6. Confessions

Rose's alarm went off at 5am, and with a blind swat, she slammed it silent. She could have sworn she'd only fallen asleep ten minutes earlier, but in actuality, it was ten hours. Six months ago, she took her placement exam for her St. Mungo's training and she wound up in emergency pediatrics. She was currently finishing up her emergency rotation, and had come home after a grueling 24 hour shift and went straight to bed.

"I thought you had the day off," she heard her boyfriend grumble. Scorpius wasn't home when she arrived in their new flat, located within five blocks from St. Mungo's. He had been on the last leg of a week long series with Falmouth.

"I do," Rose groused. "I forgot to shut off my alarm."

"You're the worst."

 _"_ _You're_ the worst." Rose rolled over and curled up next to Scorpius, her head resting on his bare chest. "You could've shut it off when you came home."

"Given that you didn't even move when I walked in…I figured you already had," Scorpius spoke through a yawn. "You were dead to the world." He wrapped an arm around Rose and kissed the top of her head. "Rough shift?"

She nodded. "Miserable."

"You sure you still want to be a healer?"

"Absolutely."

Scorpius laughed, albeit tiredly. "You're mental, woman."

"And you used to be comfier," Rose complained. "Professional quidditch is not working for me."

"But look - I can do this!" Scorpius flexed his pecs, one at a time. He did this three times in a row, laughing as Rose rolled her eyes. "What? You aren't impressed?"

She shook her head, playfully swatting his chest before rolling away from him. "Given the number of things I know you can't do - that will be the last thing I'm ever impressed by."

Scorpius chased her, pulling her back to him as he curled his body around hers. "Hey now - I put all my smelly uniforms straight into the wash when I got home, thank you very much." He buried his face into her back, kissing it lightly as he inhaled the scent of her peach shampoo. "I missed you."

Rose sighed, closing her eyes as she relaxed into him. "I missed you too. Sure you want to be a professional quidditch player?"

"Only if I can have a sexy, healer wife to come home to."

Rose hummed in agreement, feeling a lull of sleep about to overtake her again when she realized what Scorpius said. Bolting upright, she pushed the curly pieces of hair that had fallen from her messy bun away from her face and back behind her ears. She leaned over and turned on the lamp on her side of the bed to shed some light into the room, as the blackout curtains she hung when she started her job to allow her some sleep with her odd hours were exceptionally effective.

"I'm sorry," Rose said, criss crossing her legs as she faced him on the bed. "What did you say?"

"I said I want to be a professional quidditch player as long as I can have a sexy, healer wife to come home to," Scorpius repeated, a cocky grin on his face. "I was going to propose to you last night, seeing how it was the anniversary of the first time the two of us went to the Yule Ball together. I even brought you a bouquet of snapdragons."

Sure enough, there was a bouquet of pink snapdragons in a vase sitting on her vanity. Snapdragons had always been her favorite flower, from the first moment her Uncle Charlie showed her that if you squeezed the sides of the bloomed flower, you could make the flower "talk."

"How do you know today is the anniversary of the first Yule Ball we went to?" Rose asked.

"It's a skill," Scorpius said. He leaned over towards his night stand and opened the small drawer, pulling out a black velvet box. He popped it open with his thumb, and presented the thin platinum band with the 2 carat oval diamond sparkling in the light. "Rose Granger Weasley, will you marry me?"

She stared wide eyed at the beautiful ring in front of her. "You want to marry me."

"Only since I was fifteen," Scorpius replied. "So, will you?"

Nodding quickly, she bit her lower lip, not trusting herself to speak.

"I know we're young. I know we talked about waiting… and I'm still fine with that. We can wait forever to get married if that's what you want. But I don't want anyone to ever doubt my commitment to you, or my love for you." He pulled the ring out of the box and grabbed her left hand, sliding the ring carefully down her long, slender finger. "I don't want anyone to _ever_ question my loyalty to you."

Rose leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. "You know I don't read any of that rubbish that's printed, right?" she asked quietly. "I know trash when I see it."

He frowned, but shook his head. Scorpius was becoming a rising star in the professional quidditch league, and with that fame came a lot of erronous articles - especially when he was on the road. He was on a rowdy team made of mostly single men, and while they enjoyed going out after a game and getting thrashed at a bar with fans, he managed to tolerate it for maybe ten minutes before he snuck out and went back to his hotel room. He knew she saw them, and he knew people at Rose's work liked to ask her about them.

"I love you, Rose," Scorpius said, a hand palming her sleep wrinkled cheek. "I love you…so much."

"I love you too," Rose whispered back, blinking away her happy tears. "And I do…I still want to wait a little bit."

"A long engagement."

"Yes…but I want to marry you," Rose said, grabbing his wand from the night stand and killing her lamp light. I've always wanted to marry you. I'll _absolutely_ marry you."

* * *

"Your son has fantastic taste in jewelry."

Draco looked over the work briefs he was reading and found Hermione standing in the doorway of his office, leaning against the frame. Her arms were across her chest, her hair pinned away from her face. "You give the child too much credit. I know for a fact he took Hugo with him over Christmas holiday to pick it out."

"Your son is a man, Draco, not a child," Hermione chided as she walked into the office.

He put his work briefs down and leaned back in his leather chair. "Is this a social visit or a billable visit?" he asked with a grin.

"Both," Hermione said. She reached into her worn leather satchel and pulled out a stack of paperwork. "New book contract. I need my solicitor to look over it before I sign it."

Draco nodded. "What are we working on now?"

"A new textbook for Muggle Studies," Hermione said. "To be used at all magical schools here in Europe and the United States."

"Nice," Draco said as he flipped through the paperwork. "When do you need to turn this in by?"

"Sometime next week," Hermione replied. "The children tell you they were going to have a long engagement?"

He nodded as he straightened up his desk. "Scorpius assumed that's what Rose would want. I told him that was fine by me, but his mother was going to insist that they have an engagement party in the next month."

"Of course," Hermione said. "A societal pureblood tradition, as I had to do the same with Ron."

"Annoying as they are," Draco added with an eye roll. "The sooner it's done with the sooner they can go about doing what they want when they want. Astoria I'm sure has already started on the guest list."

Hermione laughed. "I already sent her my list. She requested it by noon today."

"The woman is mental," Draco said with a chuckle. "Though she loves a good party. Always has."

"She and Sullivan offered to have the party at their home," Hermione said. "I told her the children would probably like to decide where it's at, but it doesn't matter much to me."

Sullivan Fawley was Astoria's husband, and they had a large manor outside of London. His family was a member of the _Sacred 28_ , therefore a suitable re-marriage for Astoria's pureblood parents to agree to. They had a daughter together, Cecelia, who was a spitting image of Astoria. She was in the second term of her first year at Hogwarts, and Draco had a soft spot for the girl as she was Scorpius' sister. Of course, he was also her godfather, a decision Astoria was adamant about so that if something were to happen to her and Sullivan, Cecelia would be raised in the same way Scorpius was. That and it kept the siblings together.

"Cecelia's 11th birthday party was held out in the gardens at their home," Draco mused. "It would be a lovely place for an engagement party."

Hermione shrugged. "Whatever Rose and Scorpius want is fine with me. I suggested to Astoria that since Easter is coming up, it might make sense to have it one night during the week leading up to the holiday as Hugo and Cecelia will be home for spring holiday."

"Good plan," Draco said. "Pulling the kids out of school is a pain."

"It's not supposed to be easy," Hermione said with a laugh. "They need to only miss school if it's necessary."

He rolled his eyes again. "For as many rules as you broke in school, you'd think you'd find a way to let that slide."

"I broke rules to keep Harry alive, thank you very much," Hermione said in a playful, yet haughty tone.

"How could I _possibly_ forget your plight to save the Chosen One."

"Your sarcasm is noted and ignored."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Your words wound me."

"Oh shut it," Hermione said, standing up and tossing her bag on her shoulder. "I'm going to grab a bite to eat for dinner before heading home. Want to join?"

"Sure," Draco said.

The two of them ate dinner regularly nowadays. Ever since that night on the balcony when Draco challenged her to find her passion, she got back to writing books. This was the fourth book she'd been given in six months, and on top of that, she was asked by the Ministry of Magic to be the newest Chief Magical Historian. All biographies of notable wizards, wizarding eras, and locations that wanted to be published had to be properly vetted through her - which meant no more salacious books filled with mistruths and subjective commentary. Her first act as Chief Magical Historian was to banish and eliminate every unauthorized biography of Harry Potter, the Second Wizarding war, and the Malfoy family.

They sat in a booth in the back of The Leaky Cauldron, Hermione with her usual fish and chips while Draco ate a rueben sandwich. He nicked a chip from Hermione's plate and dipped it in the malt vinegar.

"Have you decided who you want to be in charge of your family's historical biography?" Hermione asked, stabbing a bite of fish with her fork.

"Nope," Draco replied. "Do I really need one?"

"Yes!" Hermione emphatically replied. "You're a member of the _Sacred_ _28_ , and your family one of the oldest wizarding families in Europe -"

"And let's not forget the Death Eater part!" he said with mock enthusiasm.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "A small part in the Malfoy history."

"Maybe, but the bigotry ran deep," he muttered. "Ancestors going back centuries are rolling in their graves at the sight of you and in mere company of each other - let along the marriage of my son to your daughter."

Sighing, Hermione took a bite of fish, chewing it slowly as she watched Draco. He always tried to act as if his past was beyond affecting him, but she could see through his deflections of sarcasm and wit that it still bothered him. "I'll do it," she offered.

He arched a pale eyebrow. "You?"

She shrugged. "Why not?"

"Uh…because I like that you and I are friends?" Malfoy said, as if there needed to be explanation. "You go through the Malfoy history, you may not be too keen on the impending marriage of our children."

"The past is the past, Draco," Hermione reassured him. "And the fact that our children are getting married shows just how much we've all evolved."

"I'm certain your ex-husband still thinks I'm a death eater."

"I'm certain I still think my ex-husband is an ass."

Draco chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. "Can't disagree there."

* * *

"Is your sister coming to dinner?"

Hugo politely shook his head no as he wiped his mouth on his napkin. He finally decided to come over to his father's house for dinner. After a silent holiday and several letters from his step-mother, Hugo decided to see if his relationship with his father was even remotely repairable. He got special permission to leave school for the weekend. He didn't often exploit who he was but every once in awhile it did work to his advantage. "She's on call at the hospital."

"Doubtful," Ron groused under his breath. "Didn't even have the bloody decency to tell me she was marrying that git. Had to find out by reading the goddamn paper."

"Daddy said a swear!" Parker announced.

"Daddy said a bad swear!" Paisley added with glee. "Mummy! Make Daddy stand in the corner!"

"Yes Mummy! Corner!" Parker chimed in.

Hugo swallowed his laughter. He actually put the kids in the corner at the Burrow over the holidays. They were acting spoiled and not listening and he couldn't take it anymore. His father was furious, but Lavender saw how effective it was, and started doing it more often. Their collectively behavior was still far from perfect, but they were also starting to receive consequences for their poor choices.

"She's very busy with her work," Hugo said to his father. "She's on track to complete her training an entire year early, and they've offered her an apprenticeship. That usually leads to a job."

Lavender reached over and grabbed Ron's wrist and gave it a squeeze. "That's wonderful. Of course, not surprising. Rosie's always been an _over_ _achiever_." She noticed that her husband's vice grip on his fork was not lessening, so she gave his wrist another squeeze. "And it's also wonderful news about the wedding! Her ring is _divine!"_

Hugo grinned. "I helped pick it out."

Ron snorted.

"You have a problem with that?" Hugo pointedly asked his father.

"It's fine," Ron grumbled.

"Ron…" Lavender warned. "I think it's nice that Scorpius would ask Hugo's opinion given how close the two are."

"Or because he's a -"

"A what?" Hugo asked, cutting his father off.

Ron looked up from his dinner plate and directly at his son. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Oh just say it," Hugo said with a groan.

"Or don't," Lavender warned again. "We are having a lovely dinner."

"Are we really?" Hugo asked, tossing his napkin on the table. "Look. Lavender - thanks for the invitation. I"m happy to see the children whenever, wherever, as long as it isn't in my father's presence. I'm done feeling bad about this."

As Hugo stood up from the table, Ron did the same, tossing his fork onto his plate with a loud clank. "Don't act like you feel bad about any of this," Ron accused his son. "You are selfish. Just like your mother."

"If being happy with who I am makes me selfish, then I guess that's my cross to bear," Hugo shot back. "And if anyone was ever selfish in the relationship between you and my mother - it was _you_." He pushed his chair in and moved behind the twins. He kissed the tops of their heads. "I'll see you both at Gran's on Sunday, ok?"

Paisley and Parker both frowned. "You aren't spending the night?"

"Sorry Parker," Hugo said. "Daddy and I are still fighting."

"Please don't go," Paisley begged. "We will be super good!"

Hugo's heart tugged at the pleas of his little siblings. He looked over at Lavender. "Can they spend the weekend with me?" he mouthed to her.

Lavender nodded. "Why don't you two run upstairs and pack your rucksacks - you can both go and spend the night with Hugo."

The twins shouted with glee and scampered away from the table, ignoring their red-faced father.

"Honey - I don't like it when the children see you so upset," Lavender tried to placate her husband. "Let them go spend time with Hugo if he has the weekend free."

"Why…would you let…my son take our children to his mother's house?" Ron asked, his jaw clenched.

"Because they miss him and they shouldn't be punished because you're being ridiculous!" She hissed. "I don't like this any more than you do but you don't have to be an ass about it! Besides - he only takes them to Rose's apartment. Not his mother's house. He's not an idiot."

Hugo gave his step-mother a small smile. "Thank you, Lavender."

"I don't have to like your choices," Lavender said to her step-son. "But that doesn't mean I stop caring about you."

"I appreciate that," Hugo said. "I haven't always been a fan of your choices…but I care about you too."

Ron scowled. "Oh please. You and Rose have hated Lav from the beginning."

"I can't speak for Rose," Hugo said. "But I hated what you did. I didn't - and don't - hate her."

"But you hate me. Your only father."

Shrugging, Hugo put his hands in his pockets and walked backwards out of the dining room into the hallway, his eyes on Ron. "You hate me. Only seems fair at this point, right?"

* * *

"So what do you think of the new place?"

Draco was standing in Hermione's living room, glass of wine in each hand. She offered to show him her new place now that everything was unpacked and put in its proper spot. Moving into a new place that was all her own, without memories of her former life staring back at her was the first big change she made a few months ago. It was a large, two story flat in downtown London, high enough for a great view of the city. Her relator tried talking her into something smaller once she realized it was just her while her son was away at "boarding school" during the year, but Hermione wouldn't budge. She wanted space, and wanted it to feel like a home.

He took a sip of his wine and nodded as Hermione walked back in with a stack of books. "It's brilliant. What did the children think?"

"They liked it better once it looked like home," Hermione replied, setting the books in hand on top of the table by the sofa. "I know they weren't really happy when I decided to sell the house, but I think they see that I'm happier here."

Nodding, Draco looked down at the top book, opening the cover. "What are these?"

"Books I borrowed while I was at the vacation house," she replied. "I forgot I had them and found them while unpacking. Sorry about that."

Draco shrugged. "As you can see, I hardly missed them."

She laughed. "Well, all the same, I should have returned them."

"It's really ok." Draco handed a wine glass to Hermione and motioned towards the balcony. "You weren't kidding about the view."

She smiled. There was something cathartic about the balcony at Draco's summer house. She spent every night on that balcony, the breeze against her face. It was a great place to think, to write, and even to nap. The balcony was large enough for a small table with four chairs, two chaise lounges, and some plants she was thinking about buying but not yet acquired. "I have you to thank for that."

"Is that so?"

She nodded. Walking toward the balcony, she opened the French glass doors and Draco followed. "It's my new favorite place."

He grinned. "So you have one now."

"I have a new one now," she corrected him. The balcony fencing was wrought iron, and the perfect height to lean against as Hermione stared out into the city. "I love London. I used to think the city was magical, of course, before knowing that magic actually existed."

Draco stood next to her on the balcony. "Decent warming charm you put out here."

"And a repelling charm," Hermione added. "I like being unnoticed." She took a sip of her wine and heard Draco chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"You."

"And why, might I ask?"

Sighing, Draco finished his wine in one big gulp, holding the stem between two fingers as his hand cupped around the glass. "You have never been unnoticeable."

"Please," she said with a snort. "Had I not become friends with Harry, I would have been a wallflower."

"I noticed you," he said, starting out at the Thames. "That first day on the platform. I noticed you."

"Oh really?"

"You and I were the only ones wearing our school uniforms as we boarded the train. Naturally, I assumed this meant you were as eager to arrive as I was."

She smiled, closing her eyes as she remembered her first day on the platform. "I was so excited," she confessed. "I was finally going somewhere that I belonged. Too bad we were destined to hate each other."

"You weren't destined to hate anyone," Draco said. "My actions caused your reactions. Something I've always regretted."

"Well you should stop," Hermione said. "We are friends now, and it's something I genuinely treasure."

Draco stared at Hermione, watching wisps of her hair blow in the wind. "I noticed you at the Yule Ball too."

Hermione laughed. She took his empty glass from his hand and walked back inside. "You're done drinking," she teased.

"I don't need to drink to tell you the truth."

She shook her head as he followed her to the kitchen. Hermione put the two glasses in the sink and opened the dishwasher, pulling clean dishes out to put away.

"Hermione."

"Yes."

"What are you doing?"

She looked at him as she put plates in the cabinets. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Do you not believe me?" he asked.

"Of course I don't," Hermione said with a laugh. "I believe you noticed that I was with Victor Krum, and every boy in that school was enamored with a quidditch star in our school."

"I noticed _you,_ " he emphatically said, hands braced on the marble island top. "You, Granger. I noticed you. The dress. The way you walked down the stairs, and how your hair fell down the side of your neck. I noticed how you looked like you were floating when you walked, and how graceful you danced, and -

"Draco, where is this coming from!" Hermione hastily cut him off. "For heaven's sake when I said I wanted to be unnoticeable I just meant that I liked my privacy!"

He shook his head, rounding the kitchen island and closing the door of the dishwasher so he could stand toe to toe with her. "No. You said if you hadn't befriend Potter you would've been a wallflower."

"Well, yes, because I'm me. I'm a boring bookworm."

"You are beautiful, Hermione," Draco said quietly, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "You were beautiful the first day I saw you, and you're beautiful now."

She nervously laughed. "We are never letting you mix scotch from dinner with wine afterwards ever again."

He moved closer, his hand cupping her cheek. "It's not the scotch and it's not the wine. You would've been my choice if I had _had_ a choice," he confessed quietly. "If my life had been my own, it would have been your train carriage I sat in on the way to Hogwarts. You would've been my study partner. My yule ball date, and -"

Hermione placed a hand over his mouth. "Stop," she whispered. "Just stop." She stared at his face, the furrowed brow, the faint scar on his cheek, and the way his eyes stared at her with utter sincerity. She moved her fingers from his lips, and grasped a fistful of his shirt. "How long have you felt this way?"

"You don't want me to answer that."

"I do want you to answer that."

"I won't answer that."

She sighed, hand still clenched around his shirt. "This is going to complicate everything."

"Because our lives were so uncomplicated before?" he half joked.

Sighing again, she let go of his shirt and leaned into him, her forehead pressed against his chest. "I don't want to ruin our friendship," she confessed. "You're the only real friend I have that's 100% mine."

He hugged her, his arms on top of each other as they rested on her shoulders. "Do you really think our friendship can be ruined?"

Hermione shrugged. "I didn't think my marriage could be ruined."

"He's a git."

"You're a git."

"I'm a snob, Hermione. Much different than being a git."

She chuckled into his chest. "You're a git, Draco."

"Fine. I'm a git," he acquiesced. "But not to you. Or the children."

Hermione looked up at him and smiled. "I'll take that."

"So what do you say?" he asked. "Because I feel like your answer is going to highly affect whether or not I'm able to stand being in the same room with you unless you're coming to see the solicitor version of me."

Raising her eyebrows, Hermione played with the end of his tie. "You don't think that's a conflict of interest?"

"It probably is, but you're good for business," he lightly teased.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, eyes locked. Hermione took in a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. "There's no going back," she whispered.

"Deal," Draco quickly replied. And before she could get another word in edge wise, he found her lips with his.

* * *

 _This should be the last chapter with a big time jump. I felt like I needed to build up a background before the chapters started flowing in a way that will now allow for a more fluid timeline._


	7. Plans

_15 days before the Engagement Party_

Hugo watched his sister pace back in forth in the living room of her flat. The incessant cursing under her breath was proof that their father's DNA coursed through her veins when she was stressed, panicked, pissed - either separately or all at once. At this very moment, it was a combination of all three, and Hugo was biting the insides of his cheeks hard to keep from laughing.

Rose, however, caught the smirk he was failing to keep from forming. "Damn it, Hugo! This isn't funny! This is a big fucking problem!"

"I'm sorry!" Hugo exclaimed, trying hard to suppress the laugh. "I don't see what is, as you say, the big fucking problem is."

"Of course you wouldn't," she sassed. "Because you like to see the good in everything!"

"So what, you think this is a bad thing?"

"Do you think I'd have sent an urgent message to McGonagall to get you a weekend pass if I thought this was a _good thing_?"

Hugo rubbed the palms of his hands on the tops of his jeans. He glanced over at the clock above the fireplace. "Is Scorpius back soon?"

"Only if my luck continues to go in the current direction it is going," Rose groused. Scorpius was at a World Cup practice, which was just more quidditch on top of his usual quidditch schedule since he was named as an alternate to England's team competing this summer. "I'm hoping his practice goes late." She plopped down on the couch next to Hugo and sighed. "This wasn't supposed to happen. Buggering fucking _fuck_."

"You sound like Dad."

"Fuck you."

Hugo laughed. "Look - I know you think this is bad, but it really isn't. So it's not in your plan. Guess what - plans suck. And your need to plan everything comes from Mum."

"Seriously, Hugo. I love you. But fuck you."

He linked his arm with hers and leaned his head against hers as it fell to his shoulder. "I love you too." He waited for a few moments before he felt her arms tighten around his, hugging it like it was a lifeline. "Rose," he said, his tone losing it's jest. "You love Scorpius and he loves you. This is really going to be ok."

"But what if it isn't?"

"But what if it is?"

"But what if it _isn't_ , Hugo?" Rose whispered fearfully. "This wasn't how it was supposed to go."

He gave his sister's hand a squeeze with his free one. "Sometimes the best things aren't planned. Sometimes you just have to go…you know…go with the flow."

"That goes against everything I know how to do."

"Trust me, I'm aware."

Rose looked up at her little brother. "I'm pregnant, Hugo. I'm not even 19 and I'm _pregnant_."

He scrunched up his face. "Considering your line of work, you would have thought you knew how to prevent that."

"It was one time!" Rose wailed. "We were both completely hammered and it was after they beat the Tornados and it was just one time!"

"You're half Weasley - how you weren't taking a potion and using muggle methods was beyond me."

"You can't take muggle birth control and a magical potion. It doesn't work," she haughtily replied.

"Condoms, Rose. _Condoms_ ," Hugo replied, mimicking his sister's tone perfectly.

* * *

"Try it."

"I don't eat fish, Granger."

" _Try it_."

"You try it."

"I already know it tastes good, you picky pain the ass. Just try it!"

Draco rolled his eyes, looking at Hermione as she had a bite of honey glazed salmon on a fork. "If I eat this and projectile vomit all over you, I plan on saying I told you so."

"First of all - disgusting. Secondly - just take the bite," Hermione instructed. She was fully aware he didn't eat fish, having heard the story a handful of times whenever fish was served at any event the two of them had attended about how they always ate codfish at the Manor as a child and he hated it. However, honey glazed salmon was a recipe of hers that her grandmother used to make, and it was one that she loved. "Honestly, Draco," she said with a huff. "Do you honestly think I'd feed you something I know you wouldn't like? Do you think I'm know you that little? Salmon and cod don't event taste alike. Just take a bite. Please?"

Reluctantly, Draco opened his mouth and leaned over the kitchen island that separated just enough for Hermione to feed him the bite. Fully prepared to hate every taste as he chewed, he found himself surprised. "Damn it," he said after swallowing. "That…that was actually really good. How did you even know I'd like that?"

Hermione gave him her trademark _told you so_ look. "I'm an incredibly perceptive person."

"You're such a swot."

"Call it what you want - but I'm right and that's really all that matters," she said with a grin. "Would you like a plate then?"

"Did you make that rice I like too?"

"I did."

"Well then dish me up a plate, woman. Your man is hungry."

" _My man_ has two arms and two hands," she said, handing him a plate. "Serve yourself."

He laughed, taking the plate. "How about you go grab a bottle of wine and I'll dish up both plates. Deal?"

"Deal," she replied.

She passed him as he walked towards the food while she walked over to the pantry, stealing a kiss on the way. She could sense him watching her as she knelt down with her knees, looking at the wine she had left in the closet. Still in her heels and black pencil skirt with a plum colored blouse from working all day at her office. Draco thought she was insane for paying to rent a space when she could do her writing from home, but Hermione liked having an office outside of her house where she could focus on work.

Grabbing an acceptable bottle for the evening, she made a mental note to add wine to her shopping list and brought the bottle back over to the island, where two plates of food were sitting at the two bar stools. "You really like eating at this island," she commented. For the past two months, this is where the majority of their meals had been eaten while her dining table acted as a mere prop a few feet away.

"I've eaten dinner in a formal dining room for essentially my entire life," he commented, taking a seat next to her. "I like this," he said. "It's more…I don't know. Casual. Intimate."

She reached out a hand and brushed her thumb against his cheek. "I like it."

He took her hand from his face and pressed a kiss to her wrist. "I do too. Now - tell me about your day - but try to do so without looking so smug about me eating your damn fish dish."

"My day was quite productive," she commented before taking a bite. "Got some outlining done on your family biography - which by the way I still have many questions about - and I finished up a few chapters in the muggle studies textbook. Hopefully it'll be reviewed and printed before start of next year's term. They can't keep using the one they have. It's completely outdated. And if wizards and witches ever wanted to assimilate and live in both worlds, it's setting them up for some sincere disappointments with ginormous oversights…"

Draco listened intently as she talked about her writing and what projects she wanted to tackle next. It was amazing that the things that used to drive him insane about her growing up were the same things he'd grown to love about her as an adult. The rhythm he and Hermione fell into these past two months was utterly effortless, which both excited and frightened him to the core of his soul. He spent half the hours he was awake during the days completely stunned and grateful that he had Hermione as more than a friend, and that he was finally in a relationship of his choosing and genuinely happy. The other half was spent waiting for what seemed to be a good idea to turn into a battlefield of which neither would fully recover.

"Draco? Draco?"

"Yes?" He said, snapping out of his thoughts.

"You ok?" She asked. "Sorry if I was getting boring -"

"Never," he promised. "I just sometimes can't believe…that we're here, you know?"

She gave him a small smile. "I think that at least once a day. But I can firmly say without a doubt that you make me incredibly happy."

* * *

Scorpius had been eyeballing his fiancée for the past week. He always knew she had her moments of…passion when she felt strongly about something. It was the Weasley part of her that he found endearing, even if the passion she was exhibiting to an outsider could be easily construed as sheer insanity. And while he would never ask her if she'd lost her mind to her face, at least not without wearing his full protective quidditch gear, he knew something was up. Her moods were off and more unpredictable than usual. She looked more exhausted than usual. The biggest giveaway of all was that Hugo was sitting with them at the dinner table when he should've been at school. Knowing that Rose mastered a handwriting spell that mimicked Hermione's a few years back, he knew perfectly well how she got him a weekend pass, but was also aware that if Hugo was here, something was wrong.

"Is there something wrong with the food?" Scorpius asked Rose. He watched her push around the pieces of Cornish hen and mashed potatoes on her plate instead of actually eating it.

"I think it's delicious," Hugo said. "I haven't had this in forever. Tastes just like Mum's, too."

Rose smiled. "Thanks."

"Yet you're not eating," Scorpius added.

She shrugged. "I'm eating."

"You've yet to take a bite."

"Why are you paying attention?"

"Uh…because you're you and I've seen you eat?" Scorpius retorted indignantly. "And you're acting completely off lately and you're brother is here like it's normal and while I don't mind your brother here - I also know you - and I guess I'm just waiting for you to clue me in."

Rose crossed her arms against her chest. "Clue you in?"

"I didn't stutter," Scorpius retorted. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing!" She quickly replied.

"Rose," Hugo said. "He's not an idiot."

"At least your brother gives me some credit," Scorpius said.

"It's nothing -"

"Rose!" Hugo exclaimed. "If you can't even tell him what's wrong then how are you supposed to get married?"

"We aren't supposed to be getting married for a few years! We are too young! That's why we were having the long engagement!" Rose exploded. "This is what I was trying to explain to you!"

Hugo picked his napkin off of his lap and tossed it on the table. "And I'm telling you, Rose, that sometimes life just happens and you figure it out!"

"And I'm telling you I have no idea how to bloody do that!" Rose roared back. "I'm not wired this way!"

"Well you better figure it out!"

"Will someone tell me what in the hell is going on here!" Scorpius shouted, interrupting the two siblings and their shouting match. "Rose! What in the hell is wrong with you?"

Rose went to speak, but every time she tried to get the words out, she couldn't say them.

Hugo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Rose is pregnant. And she's freaking out. So do whatever it is you do because I've done all I can do at this point." At his announcement, Rose abruptly stood up and ran off to her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. Standing up from the table, he walked over and clapped a hand on Scorpius' shoulder. "I'm going to Mum's house. Just…she's spooked. Don't be mad at her."

Scorpius was now the one at a loss for words. "Oh my God," he finally managed to get out. "She's pregnant?"

"Yeah," Hugo replied. "Next time you two decide to get tanked after a quidditch victory, maybe you should make sure to use protection, eh?"

"Shit - that fucking Tornados game," Scorpius groaned. "We hadn't seen each other in weeks because I'd been on the road and she finally had two nights in a row off from work and -"

"Details aren't necessary," Hugo said with a laugh. "But seriously. She's flipping out."

Scorpius cursed himself and their collective stupidity to himself. "Clearly. Ok. I should go deal with this."

"Yes. But for what it's worth - I really don't see it being the disaster she's currently playing out in her head. You know how she always goes for the worst case scenario."

Scorpius nodded, chuckling slightly. "It's the only predictable part about her."

* * *

Hugo walked out of the floo into his mother's study and dropped his overnight bag off in his room. He changed into his pajama bottoms and a t-shirt and grabbed his homework out of his bag and took it downstairs, figuring he could watch some tv with his mother while he worked on his potions essay. Of all the muggle things he was exposed to - television was the one thing he missed while at school.

Homework in hand, he scuttled down the stairs and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He could see into he kitchen from where he was standing, and saw his mother leaning over and giving Draco Malloy a peck on the lips. Hardly able to contain his grin, he made his way towards the kitchen with a skip in his step and stopped at the open doorway, leaning against the frame with a smug smirk on his face. "Well what do we have here?"

"Hugo Arthur Weasley!" Hermione exclaimed, blushing slightly as Draco's hand was on her knee. "Why aren't you at school?"

"Rose," he replied. "She got me a weekend pass."

"You two get away with too much!" she said with exasperation. "I've only told her I don't know how many times to stop writing notes with my name on them."

"Oh mum, it's fine," Hugo replied with a laugh. "So…what's happening here?"

Draco had the decency to wipe the smirk off of his face when Hermione looked at him, then back at her son. "What do you think this is?" she ask. "We are two consenting adults having dinner."

"Oh. Ok," Hugo said, humoring his mother. "Mr. Malfoy - do you always eat dinner with your clients?"

"Only the _really_ attractive ones."

"Draco!"

"What !" Draco exclaimed with a laugh. "He's not an idiot, Granger."

"I also saw you kiss him about 10 seconds ago," Hugo added. "Which is fine - I like Mr. Malfoy. He's good for you. We've even joked about it."

"Who has joked about it?" Hermione asked.

"Me, Rose, Cecelia, Scorpius, James, Albus, Lily, Dominique, Molly, Louis, Teddy, Fred -"

"Are you planning on naming _all_ of your cousins?" Hermione asked with a warning tone.

"No - just seeing how far I could get," he teased.

"Stop channeling your Uncle George."

"Stop making it so easy."

Draco could see the gears turning in Hermione's mind and he gave her knee a squeeze. "Hugo - drop the homework and go set up the chess board. May as well take advantage of a good game if you're here tonight, right?"

"If you have homework -"

"I have like, 5 more inches to write - which I can do tomorrow while you make me breakfast," he said.

"What's for breakfast?" Draco asked.

"Who says you'll be here?" Hermione quipped, failing to keep a firm tone of voice.

"French toast," Hugo answered Draco. "Mum always makes me French Toast. She makes it the best."

Hermione shook her head as she stood up from her bar stool and walked over to her son. She gave him a hug and kissed his cheek, shaking her head as she brushed a hand through his hair. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked.

"Nothing - because I'm fantastic," he replied with a smirk.

She held out her hands. "Give me your homework and go get your chess board."

"Don't edit it, Mum," he warned. "It's perfectly fine. I just have to write up my closing remarks alright?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Hermione said, flipping through his parchment as he walked off to get his game.

"You would edit your child's homework," Draco said with a laugh.

"You can sleep somewhere else you know," Hermione said, not looking up at him as she skimmed his words. "Besides. I don't edit. I just provide commentary. My children are brilliant and don't need my help." She walked over to the neglected dining table and placed his homework at Hugo's usual seat when he was home and placed his quill on top. When she turned around, she found Draco standing in front of her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You know, I had a plan," she said. "To tell the kids."

"We're adults," Draco said. "We don't need a plan. We enjoy each other's company and we're exploring a relationship. They'll be fine, if what Hugo said is true."

"I know. I just…I like plans."

"Trust me. I know." Draco took a hand and tipped her chin up so he could kiss her. "I like plans too. But I never planned to fall for you, and yet here I stand, completely yours."

She returned the kiss, relaxing in his arms as she accepted his embrace. "Completely mine?" Hermione questioned, a smile in her voice.

"Completely."

* * *

"Do you even know what the gossip will be if we get married and I have a baby nine months later?"

"I think they'll say 'oh look - another loving couple with a beautiful baby' - but hey - I like to be optimistic."

Rose didn't look up at Scorpius, but remained curled into his side, a hand clutching his shirt for dear life as the two of them lay in bed. "This is my fault," she said.

"I'm pretty sure it's equally my fault, Rose," Scorpius said with a laugh.

"How is this funny?"

"It's not funny - it's just - Rose - you're worked up like we are two poor, destitute individuals about to bring a baby into the world that we can't take care of," he tried to gently reason.

She sighed. "You just said two words that mean the same thing."

"Rose…"

"We aren't even 19!"

"We will be by the time the kid gets here."

"No one has babies at 19 anymore!"

"Plenty of people in the wizard it world have babies at 19."

"I wasn't planning on being one of them."

He grabbed her hand, prying it from the fabric of his shirt and held her hand tightly with his. "What is it that you're afraid of?" he asked. "I genuinely need to know."

She sighed, tears starting to pool in her eyes. "That we can't have it all. I want to be a healer. You want your quidditch career. We were supposed to have these things, _establish_ these things we wanted before we started a family. Before we even got married and now…"

"We can still do these things," Scorpius promised. "This kid has four sets of grandparents that will help - two sets of great grandparents that will be competing with the grandparents to help - and enough aunts and uncles fill the spaces in between."

Rose sighed again, knowing that Scorpius was right, being the half of them that was always looking at things with sound logic. "I'm terrified we are too. young."

"We are too young," Scorpius replied. "And if you think this doesn't have me nervous, well, think again. It does. I'm just better at compartmentalizing my feelings. Let's hope this kid also carries this invaluable Malfoy trait."

She shook her head, wiping the tears that had fallen against his shirt. "If we don't get married before this baby comes…it's going to be like Dad and Lavender. I don't want that comparison."

Scorpius nodded, knowing how difficult it was for Rose and Hugo both to see _The Daily Prophet's_ daily commentary on her father and Lavender's pregnancy with the twins. "So then we get married."

"When?"

"At the engagement party," Scorpius suggested.

"That's two weeks away. Your mother will _kill us_."

"First of all - she's the only one that can pull it off. Second - she's not going to kill her only son. Third - we can let everyone think it's still an engagement party - and surprise them. Throws everyone off the scent. Tell them that with our busy schedules - we just decided to do it and whatever happens after is attributed to a blissful honeymoon after a surprise wedding for our closest family and friends."

She looked up at him. "Did you seriously just think of this right now?"

He shrugged. "In some regards - I am my mother's son."

She laughed. For the first time since she realized she was pregnant 48 hours ago, Rose finally started to feel the stress and weight of this unexpected event lift. This is what she loved about Scorpius. He was her other half in every sense of the word. In moments of chaos and the unexpected, where she was erratic, he was pragmatic. He was her compliment in every way.

"Hey Rose?"

"Yes?"

He rolled her over so that he was hovering over her, brushing wisps of her auburn curls away from her face. "I love you. Even when you're completely out of your mind - I love you. And we're young. You're probably right when you say we're too young. But we're going to be ok. Because this plan - us - is right. As long as we are together, the rest will sort itself out. Whatever happens, happens. You like plans? Well - that's the new plan."

"Whatever happens, happens," Rose repeated.

"Because I love you."

"Because I love you," she repeated back.

"And I even forgive you for telling Hugo you were pregnant first."

She snorted. "That was fairly predictable though, right?"

"It was," Scorpius agreed. "But I want the rest of the firsts. Deal?"

Smiling, Rose nodded. "Absolutely."


End file.
